Filling in the Holes
by xxTwitchyxxCharmxx
Summary: Holes: Finished Sequel 2 Girls & Guys! Drugs. Rape. Murder. Suicide. These four things follow the girl who was thought to be dead. When she comes back to find Squid, will he be able 2 save her from the 4 things that have haunted her? RR no flames!
1. Rejuvination

Filling in the Holes  
  
Rating: PG-13  
  
Author's Note: SEQUEL!! YEA! Sequel to Girls and Guys!! YEA YEA YEA! One year after the events of Girls and Guys. AND WHO CARES IF IT IS A MARY-SUE! What am I supposed to do? Pair Squid up with his shovel?!  
  
Disclaimer: I don't anything from the story Holes. I don't own the characters.  
  
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Chapter One: Rejuvenation  
  
It has been one year since Brianna passed away. Squid was now eighteen. He was still hurting from her being gone, but he had gotten over it. He still loved her but accepted she was finally gone. He understood she was gone. He knew she was gone. He loved her, yes, but she was no longer walking on this earth. He finally knew she was gone.  
  
It was the middle of the night and Squid was in his bed asleep. His mother wasn't home yet from her seminar, which seemed a little unusual. Squid was asleep in his bed when out of nowhere he heard a noise from outside. It jarred him awake. He slowly climbed out of his bed and went over to his window. He opened it and looked down. Nothing was there. He shrugged, shut his window and then climbed back into his bed and fell asleep.  
  
Tap tap tap!  
  
There it was again! It was growing irritating. Squid put his pillow over his head and decided to ignore the noise from outside. He wanted the noise to stop until…  
  
"HEY!"  
  
Squid fell out of his bed and looked around. Was someone trying to break into his house? "Naw," he whispered into the silence of his room. He went back to sleep.  
  
Meanwhile outside a dark shadow was outside jumping up and down outside of his window. It was waving their arms in the air. The person finally got very frustrated and looked around them. They walked over to the drainpipe and shimmed up it to Squid's window. When they had reached it the person pulled out a lock pick and started to fiddle with the lock. "Damn!" they whispered. They pushed up on the window. "Dur! It was open!" the person muttered. They opened the window and climbed into Squid's room. They fell onto the floor with a thud.  
  
The person winced hoping Squid didn't get up. He was asleep. "So cute," the person whispered almost overtaken by cuteness. They slowly walked toward Squid's sleeping body and gently shook him. He didn't wake. The person shook him this time a little more aggressively. He still didn't get up. "Squid! Get up!" they commanded.  
  
He slowly got up and looked around and saw the shadow. "WHOA! WHO'RE YOU GET OUT!" Squid shouted looking outraged. The person took a step back. "Show yerself! Who are ya?" he asked again trying to calm himself down. He was now out of his bed near his door ready to run for a gun at any given moment. Squid felt around for his light switch and quickly flipped it on. The person slowly stepped into the light.  
  
It was a girl. She had dark brunette hair that looked dirty. She had ivory colored skin though it seemed like there was dirt on her face and arms. Her cloths were ripped. She had knee ripped bell-bottom jeans and a shirt with a rip at the bottom. Her shirt read, 'Leader' and the red color looked considerably faded. Then her eyes. Her eyes looked so familiar as if Squid had seen them before. Her eyes were the only things that didn't look like she had been through a rough time. She had dark emerald almond-shaped eyes. They looked like…  
  
Brianna.  
  
"NO! You're dead! I saw you!" he shouted.  
  
"Dead? Me? Ha! There's a laugh," giggled the girl.  
  
"You can't be Brianna. She's dead and buried!" exclaimed Squid looking frantic. He slowly moved toward his bed and grabbed a baseball bat.  
  
"WHOA! Don't do that-!" she shouted before he swung at her. She easily ducked. "Damn! What the hell didya do that for!" He swung again and missed her. This time he hit his dresser. "WILL YA STOP!" she growled grabbing the bat and snatching it out of his hands. "Please lemme explain!" she whimpered o him.  
  
"Fine!" he growled in a frustrated voice. He sat on his bed and looked at her. "I still don't believe yer Bri! She's dead! DEAD! D-E-A-D! Dead!" he said determined to show this girl that he wasn't stupid enough to fall for this trick. She sighed and sat down next to him. She looked into his brown eyes with her emerald ones.  
  
"It is me. It's me Brianna! C'mon! Ya gotta believe me. I know stuff about you that only I would know-!"  
  
"Then what was Brianna sent to Camp Green Lake for?!"  
  
"Me and my gang were blamed for the JCP Plan. We weren't apart of it. It was the Scorpions who came with that plan." Answered the girl with a sense of cockiness. Squid snorted.  
  
"Then what was my nickname?"  
  
"Squid!"  
  
"Easy question."  
  
"Uh huh sure," she mumbled with anger. Squid stared at her.  
  
"Then what was her nickname?" he asked her. He smirked at her with a cocky attitude.  
  
"Charm, stupid," she giggled. "And my gang was called the Strips. My gang members' names' were: Kayla, Shaily, Susan, Marla, and Michelle… And formerly before she died, Mel. The D-Tent boys' names' were: Caveman, X-Ray, Squid, Armpit, Magnet, Zero, and Zig Zag. My former boyfriend's name was Marcus "Mad Dog" Sheldon the leader of the Scorpions. What else would you like to know to PROVE that I AM Brianna Lyn Barlow-Synch!"  
  
"What's my real name?" Squid asked smirking again.  
  
"Alan," she answered firmly. He gapped at her.  
  
"Brianna?" he said gapping.  
  
"Hey Alan," she said smiling. She leaned into him and hugged him tightly. She realized he was shirtless as she hugged him. She went red. He still looked flabbergasted and reluctantly hugged her in return.  
  
"Where have you been?!" asked Squid quickly pushing her away. Her bright smile quickly faded. She looked at the ground and sighed. "Where have ya been?" he asked again looking her in the face.  
  
"I've been gone."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Mad Dog."  
  
"What?"  
  
"I faked my death Squid," she said quickly afterwards.  
  
"WHAT!?" gasped Squid looking flabbergasted again. "But-? Why?"  
  
"I did it for you. Mad Dog still loves me so if he thought I was dead he would let me be. I could finally be happy with ya. It also was an idea the cops had. Yea I know. Me actually work with the cops is not exactly something I would normally do, but it did make sense. I explained to them that the Scorpions were going to have someone kill me if they couldn't themselves. We also decided to go after my dad for kidnapping charges. And I soon found out after I "died" that he was hired to kill me in exchange for some drug from the Scorpions," Brianna explained hoping Squid could understand this.  
  
"Oh my God," he whispered looking like he was just slapped across the face.  
  
"I know I know, but it was the only way to bust the Scorpions. I had to do it. I wanted to be with you and not worry about getting jumped in some dark alley," she said looking quite embarrassed by this. Squid's lips cracked into a smile and slowly he hugged her again.  
  
"It's ok. It's ok," he murmured. He started to feel fresh tears roll down his skin from her. She had started to sob in his grip.  
  
"I'm sorry. I should've told ya," she sobbed. He shook his head and kissed the top of her head gently.  
  
"Naw," he said to her. "It's fine. I understand."  
  
"Thanks."  
  
"No problem. What's a boyfriend for anyway?" he said winking at her after she moved out of his grip. She giggled and kissed his cheek. He grinned, "Well anyway-?" he started to ask before…  
  
"ALAN! I'M HOME! WHERE ARE YOU! C'MON DOWN!" called his mother. Squid went white with horror.  
  
"I'M IN MY ROOM MOM! I'LL BE THERE IN A MINUTE!" he called after her.  
  
"Well just hold on I'll just come up there!" she answered starting to walk up the stairs of their house.  
  
"Shit!" murmured Squid to Brianna. "Ya gotta get out before my mom get up here!" She nodded quickly and went over to his window.  
  
"Hey wait!" Brianna gasped.  
  
"What?!" he hissed to her.  
  
"Alan? Is there someone in your room?" asked his mother getting close to his door.  
  
"NO!" Squid answered. He looked to Brianna and motioned her to get out of the room.  
  
"Alan… Meet me here," she whispered as she scribbled down an address. "No one'll be there to interrupt us." He nodded and kissed cheek. "Bye!" she said as she shimmed down the drainpipe.  
  
"ALAN! WHO'S IN THERE!" called his mother.  
  
"NO ONE MOM!" he said to her.  
  
"LET-ME-IN!"  
  
"Fine! He shouted making sure Brianna was gone. He walked over to his door and unlocked it and then his mother came into the room.  
  
"Now I guarantee ya I heard SOMEONE in here!"  
  
"Mom no one was here! I promise you that," he muttered. She gave him a look of disbelief. "I'm not lieing mother! I swear!" he said quickly afterward. She looked at him again and shook her head.  
  
"Well alright then, but if you had a girl in here because by God I heard one… You'll be grounded until ya dead!" she said calmly walking out of the room. She shut the door and went back downstairs. Squid sighed with relief and climbed back into his bed. He pulled the blanket back over him and went back to sleep. He smiled to himself.  
  
"Brianna's back…" he whispered.  
  
The next morning Squid was awoken by his mother knocking on the door. He shoot up in his bed and rubbed his head. What had happened last night? Brianna! "Oh God, that's right!" he said quickly looking at his hand. "I'm suppose to meet her today!" he said getting out of bed and getting fresh cloths on. He walked out of his room and slid down the banister of the staircase.  
  
"Alan!" shrieked his mother.  
  
"Oops sorry," he said quickly. He smiled and headed to the door.  
  
"Where d'you think you are goin'?" his mother asked.  
  
"I-I've gotta go meet someone!" he said not looking at his mother. She sighed and let him go. He ran out the door and went over to where he was going to meet Brianna. She wasn't there. He leaned against the wall and waited anxiously for her. It was about twenty minutes later before she finally arrived.  
  
"Squid!" she said waving to him. When she got close enough to him, she gently embraced him. "Hey there! Didya get caught?"  
  
"Naw," he said fiddling with the toothpick in his mouth.  
  
"You still chew on that thing?!" she said blinking.  
  
"Yea," he replied laughing. "Kinda my trademark if ya get it."  
  
"Oh hilarious," she said flatly. She playfully slapped him. He kissed her forehead and looked down at her.  
  
"Ok ok," he began. "Now what do ya gotta tell me."  
  
"Well I was going to finish what we were discussing yesterday but I guess ya don't wanna hear it!" Brianna snapped. Squid gave her a smirk.  
  
"Ok," Squid laughed. "Now what were we talking about now?" Brianna stared and sighed loudly.  
  
"Well I explained everything that had happened to me except where the hell I've been this past year."  
  
"Ah," he said. "Right. You can continue."  
  
"Well you actually wanna know where I've been?"  
  
"No and then Shaily and Zig Zag'll break up," Squid answered sarcastically. Brianna blinked.  
  
"Shaily and Zig Zag are goin' out?" she asked. Squid nodded. "Oh my God! What else have I missed!"  
  
"You've missed a lot. You really wanna know?" he asked and Brianna nodded eagerly. "Well, Marla's going with Zero, Kayla's with Caveman, Shaily's with Zig Zag, Susan's with Magnet, and Michelle's goin' with Twitch." Squid answered. She gapped at him. "I'm totally serious!"  
  
"Ok I get that, but what the hell happened to Camp Green Lake?"  
  
"It was shut down thanks to Caveman and Zero."  
  
"Seriously?!"  
  
"Yea," answered Squid. Brianna looked shocked. Squid was still chewing on this toothpick. Brianna rolled her eyes. "What!"  
  
"Will you please take that outta yer mouth? PLEASE!" she whined.  
  
"Take what out?" he asked her looking blank.  
  
"Gah!" she shouted.  
  
"What now?"  
  
"That damn toothpick!"  
  
"What about it?"  
  
"It's so annoyin'!" she whined stamping her foot.  
  
"Why?" he asked. She frowned slightly and hugged Squid. She started to cry.  
  
"I-I missed you so much," she bawled. Squid looked taken aback by her emotions. He reluctantly put his arms around her and caressed her hair. He tried to calm her down. People walking by began to stare at him with dirty looks as if he caused her to cry.  
  
"C'mon. Stop. I hate it when you cry," he whispered. She remained sobbing into his shoulder. Finally after a few more minutes she stopped crying and let him go. She looked him in the eyes. She smiled gently and pulled out his toothpick. "HEY! That's mine!" he griped. She giggled and leaned into him.  
  
"Not anymore," she giggled. He reached to grab it from her but she pulled it away.  
  
"Hey! Give it back!"  
  
"Nope sorry."  
  
"HEY! C'MON!" he shouted to her. She shook her head. "Ok ok! What do I gotta do to get it back?"  
  
"Hmm." Brianna replied now fiddling with the toothpick in her own fingers. He gave her a grin and reached for his toothpick and Brianna pulled it away again. Squid reached again but fell into Brianna knocking her over and him landing on top of her. "Ow!" she yelped.  
  
"Sorry," he murmured. "I just want my damn toothpick back!"  
  
"No!" she giggled. He looked into her emerald eyes.  
  
"Hey there. Now c'mon!" Squid whispered getting close to her face.  
  
"Sorry can't hear you!"  
  
"Hmph!"  
  
"Stop your whining," she said before grabbing his shirt and pulling him down to her lips. She kissed him deeply before letting him go. She then shoved the toothpick back into his mouth.  
  
"Oh funny! Really funny!"  
  
"Hey now can I ask you something?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"Could you get off me?"  
  
"Gladly," he answered helping her up and kissing her cheek again. "Now lemme ask something."  
  
"Anything."  
  
"When are you going to tell your gang?"  
  
"I don't know."  
  
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So how was that? Pretty crappy huh! Yep exactly what I thought! And I must give thanx to my bud Kayla for this idea. Yes all the girls in this story are based on my best friends. KAYLA LYLAS! THANKS FOR THIS IDEA! YOU RULE! ^^ 


	2. Lies Cut Deep

Author's Note: Chapter wrote while listening to "Unwell" by matchbox 20. It kinda explains Brianna's insanity. ^^; I'm changing the Rating to R. ^^;  
  
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Chapter Two: Lies Cut Deep  
  
Brianna and Squid spent hours catching up on the past year. Brianna was fascinated by what had happened, like who everyone was dating and where everyone was living. She giggled at the some of Squid's answers. After he explained what had happened to everyone after the camp was hut down he looked directly at her. "Now, where have ya been this past year?" he asked her.  
  
"Well I've been with some family friends for a while. I got sick of it and decided I'd been in hiding for too long. I-I really missed you," Brianna whispered to him. "I can't tell you exactly where I've been because it could get my family's friends in trouble. I don't want that for them, but anyway, how's Jason and Reese?"  
  
"Well I've been gettin' emails from them about twice a week. Jason's going into third grade after the summer is over. Reese's been lookin' for a new job because she got fired. She thinks she can find one in time before Jason has to go to school. That's basically what has been goin' on with them." Squid responded.  
  
"Jason hasn't been gettin' into trouble?"  
  
"Bri, think for a second… He may be yer brother but he's not LIKE ya."  
  
"Oh funny," she muttered slapping his shoulder teasingly again. He smiled and kissed her forehead again. "Well d'you know where the girls are?"  
  
"Yea," he answered. "There at the park. Why?"  
  
"I gotta talk to'em!"  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Are you being serious?! I've gotta tell'em I'm alive… Dur!" she murmured. Squid nodded and smiled. "Well-?"  
  
"Well what?" he asked looking dumbstruck.  
  
"Are you going to take me the damn park or not? I don't know where the hell I'm going!" she grumbled to him. He nodded and grabbed her hand and dragged her to the park. They looked for her old gang for about an hour. "Where the hell are they!" she shouted. Squid shrugged and looked around him again and sighed. "Gr! If I don't find them I swear I'll-!"  
  
"B-B-Brianna?" asked a female voice from behind Brianna and Squid. They turned and saw Kayla and her gang behind them. Brianna smiled and hugged Kayla. "Oh my God! Y-y-you're alive!" she gasped looking shocked.  
  
"Have you been taking care of the girls Kayla? You know I did leave YOU in charge," asked Brianna smiling. Kayla nodded but couldn't speak. She was entirely speechless of Brianna's return. She couldn't believe it. "Hey girls there you are! C'mon! I'm not a zombie or ghost or whatever!" Brianna said amused. They all ran to her and hugged her. "Wow," she began.  
  
"What?" asked Marla.  
  
"You girls recognized me faster than Squid over here!" Brianna giggled. The girls started to howl with laughter and Squid gave them dirty looks.  
  
"Oh VERY funny… Hilerious!" he muttered feeling embarrassed. Brianna kissed his cheek and he smiled. Then Michelle stepped forward and looked at Brianna.   
  
"What is it Michelle?" asked Brianna turning to Michelle. Michelle got a very sheepish look on her face and couldn't find the words to tell Brianna what she wanted to say. "What is it Michelle?" Brianna asked again.  
  
"Well me and the girls were wonderin' where have ya been? And how come yer back from the dead?" Michelle said all at once. Brianna laughed and the girls glared at her.  
  
"Well it's kinda a long story but if yer willing to listen I'll tell," Brianna said to her gang. Her gang members nodded and Brianna began to explain what had happened to her. She explained why she faked her death and what she was trying to do and where she had been for the past year. Her gang gapped at her. When she finished she looked up at her members and smiled gently. "And that's what's been happenin' with me. Squid's already filled me in on yer lives so ya don't have to tell me." She answered them before they opened their mouths to speak.  
  
"Oh," they answered in unison.  
  
"But is there anything ya gotta ask me?" she said as an afterthought. Kayla raised her hand.  
  
"Yea I do!" Kayla said.  
  
"Sure what?" asked Brianna.  
  
"Are you goin' to be the leader of the Strips again?"  
  
"No."  
  
"WHAT!?" shouted the rest of her gang members except for Kayla who had enjoyed the leader position quite well.  
  
"Weren't you listening to me? I faked my death and well… I don't wanna be a gangster anymore. I faked my death also to get out of the gang. I just want a normal life right now. Ok? I don't want any more deaths to put up with. I'm sick of it!" Brianna replied. Her gang members except for Kayla looked flabbergasted. She smiled, "But I still wanna be friends with ya. I'm not goin' to do anymore gang work anymore."  
  
"But!"  
  
"No buts! I don't care anymore."  
  
"Why not?" asked Shaily.  
  
"I can't tell you," whispered Brianna.  
  
"You can't tell us why you can't care about us anymore?!" Shaily screamed. Brianna looked at the ground and bit her lip. She looked at her gang and Squid and smiled. She pulled out a small box. Shaily looked at it and then back up to Brianna. "Are those cigs?" Brianna pulled out a cigarette and lit it up. She took a drag from it and looked at her gang who was blown away by this.  
  
"What're ya smokin' for?" asked Michelle staring at Brianna. Brianna looked at the ground and sighed. "You hardly ever smoke." Brianna had smoked before but only when she became nervous. Brianna took another drag of her cigarette and sighed.  
  
"Ok, you guys you know me better than anyone so I'll tell ya," whispered Brianna. "I've gotta pull a job."  
  
"What kinda job?" asked Marla leaning forward.  
  
"A job I've gotta do myself."  
  
"Which is…?" asked Kayla bouncing up and down crazily.  
  
"A drug deal."  
  
"WHAT!" shouted her gang in outrage. "YOU'RE GOIN' TO PULL A DRUG DEAL!" Brianna took another drag of her cigarette and licked her lips.  
  
"I have to."  
  
"But- WHY?" her gang chorused.  
  
"You wouldn't understand!" Brianna screamed throwing her cigarette butt to the ground and stepping onto it. Her gang stared at her in disbelief.  
  
"WHAT WOULDN'T WE UNDERSTAND!?"  
  
"THE REASON WHY I'VE GOTTA DO THIS!"  
  
"WE MADE A PACT! WE'LL ALWAYS UNDERSTAND WHAT GOES ON IN YER LIFE!"  
  
"NO YA WON'T! GOD DAMMIT!" Brianna screamed getting out another cigarette and lighting it up. She took a drag of it and paced around.  
  
"You've changed," mumbled Shaily.  
  
"What the fuck are you talking about?!" shouted Brianna. Her gang blinked. Brianna never used such language in her normal speech. She cursed but not that badly. "Ah! Fuck ya! Damn ya! Fuck!" she yelled at the gang. She flicked her cigarette butt onto the ground and stepped on it again. She walked away muttering to herself.  
  
Shaily glanced at Squid who looked stunned. "You go and see what's up with her. You can usually get what's botherin' her out." Shaily said smiling at Squid. He shook his head.  
  
"Let her cool down for a bit. When she's mad she can blow up way too quick." Squid answered. Shaily sighed and looked at Kayla. Kayla nodded and motioned for the girls to leave. Squid decided he'd go home until he thought Brianna had cooled down. She seemed uptight and unnaturally paranoid. It scared Squid. As he walked down the street he remembered who Brianna had reminded him of. "She's acting like Zig Zag. Oh shit! Something's gotta be wrong." He said to himself as he stopped from walking. He turned around and took a deep breath and kept walking.  
  
***  
  
Brianna walked behind a dark ally. "I'm here." She murmured.  
  
"Good. Are you going to do it?" hissed a female voice.  
  
"Yes," Brianna muttered back. "I'll do it." The female walked from the shadows and smiled poisonously. She had dirty blonde hair and stone gray eyes. She wore black leather and extremely tight bell-bottom dark jeans. Her cloths were ripped and dirty.  
  
"Are you sure?" asked the blonde.  
  
"Yes," repeated Brianna who was now smoking another cigarette.  
  
"Good… The break in will happen around midnight ok. Then we'll get those drugs all right? If ya don't show up yer goin' to be in a lot of trouble!" growled the blonde female.  
  
"Right. Ok," whispered Brianna walking out of the dark ally smoking her cigarette and quickly disposing it when she saw a cop. She stepped on it and walked quickly away.  
  
***  
  
Squid sat on his porch sitting on the swing. He saw Magnet with Susan walking by. They stopped and Magnet walked up to Squid. "Yo man what's up? I heard Bri's back! Ya should be happy!" Magnet said quickly.  
  
"I can't something botherin' me," mumbled Squid. "Bri's been actin' really weird."  
  
"Weird or Zig Zag weird?"  
  
"Zig Zag weird."  
  
"Oh," Magnet said looking astounded. Squid nodded and chewed on his toothpick. Susan stamped her foot and sighed annoyingly. "I betta go. Susan's gettin' antsy." Magnet said after hearing Susan's complaints from the sidewalk. Squid grinned and watched them walk away.  
  
"Alan?"  
  
Squid turned and saw his mother standing in the doorway of the house. "Yea?" he asked.  
  
"What're you doing?" she said walking outside.  
  
"Nuttin." He grumbled.  
  
"Doesn't sound like "nothing" to me. It sounds like something."  
  
"Ok, well I've got this friend," Squid began. (Oh no not this "I've got a friend who's got a friend" crap!) "And well he's got this other friend who just came back. She's planning to do something bad and my friend's worried that something bad'll happen to his friend."  
  
"Oh," his mother said. "Well, don't worry Alan. Something'll work out." Squid rolled his eyes and shook his head. He looked out onto the horizon. What if Brianna did something horrible? What if she got hurt? He couldn't bare it.  
  
***  
  
It was midnight. Brianna looked up at the velvet black sky and saw the twinkling stars all across the sky. The moon lit their way to the unsuspecting house. The dirty blonde girl was in front of Brianna as they walked in the silence of the night. "You ready for this?" asked the blonde.  
  
"Yes! Already! Jesus!" hissed Brianna. "I'm as ready as I could eva be, Laura." The girl named Laura spun around and glared at Brianna. She looked into Brianna's eyes. Laura grinned poisonously yet again.  
  
"There's that look! There's the flare. That's what I admire in you Brianna. You're able to look fear in the face and laugh. It's a look of strong-minded genius gangster," Laura said laughing slightly. Brianna glared at the female.  
  
"Ha! Whatever! You'll never know what a damn fuckin' life I've led. Never!" sneered Brianna. Laura just grinned and turned from Brianna.  
  
"C'mon let's go," scoffed Laura.  
  
"Right."  
  
They walked to a house that was suspiciously close to Squid's home. Brianna looked around her and got a feeling that said she didn't like what was going to happen. "We're here," hissed Laura pointing to the house they were going to rob blind. Brianna nodded but felt sick as she followed Laura to a window in the house. Brianna pulled out her lock pick and opened the window. They went inside.  
  
***  
  
"SQUID! SQUID!"  
  
Squid was sitting out on his porch enjoying what was the beginning of the morning. He looked up to see Zig Zag looking panicky, well more than usual. "What?" asked Squid looking alarmed.  
  
"My-house-was-robbed-!" he said all together and panting terribly from running. Shaily soon joined Zig Zag's side. She looked equally shocked by the news.  
  
"Whaddya mean "robbed"?" asked Squid.  
  
"What d'you think I mean dammit! Robbed! Stuff stolen! Y'know! ROBBED!" shouted Zig Zag. Shaily grabbed Zig by the shoulders and calmed him down. "Thanks Shail," he whispered to her. He turned back to Squid. "We've gotta find out who did it!"  
  
"Alright. I think I know who might know somethjng about it." Squid said getting up from his porch and walking away.  
  
"WHO! I WANT TO KNOW!" shouted Zig Zag after Squid started to walk off.  
  
***  
  
"Holy shit," muttered Brianna walking through the park. She had gone through half of her pack of cigarettes. She was horribly nervous. She had never been so nervous in her life. She paced back and forth feeling sick to her stomach. She threw her cigarette pack down and stared at it. "I need to stop smoking," she muttered.  
  
"Bri! Hey Bri! Get over here!" shouted someone. She turned around and saw...  
  
Squid.  
  
"Oh shit!" she cried out. She ran. Squid ran after her and grabbed her right arm stopping her dead in her tracks. She slowly turned to face Squid. "What!" she spat.  
  
He blinked, "What's yer problem?"  
  
"Everything! Dammit!" she growled as popped two pills into her mouth. She went over to a drinking fountain and swallowed the pills.  
  
"What were those?" asked Squid.  
  
"Pills. Dur," she growled.  
  
"What is wrong with you?! You've acted like some idiot ever since ya came back! What happened to the Brianna I knew from Camp?"  
  
She slapped him.  
  
"DAMMIT! WHY IS EVERYONE TREATING ME LIKE THIS! IT'S DRIVING ME MAD!"  
  
Squid touched the reddened part of his face. He stared at Brianna. What was wrong with her? He looked at her. SHe stared horrorstricken at what she had done. She took a step toward him. "Alan," she whispered.  
  
He stepped back, "What?"  
  
"I'm sorry. I'm turning into my dad. Jesus. I'm gonna end up like him!" she cried out falling to her knees in tears. Squid saw her tears fall an dhe walked back to her and kneeled down. He lifted her face up by the chin and stared into her emerald eyes. Tears were glistening in them.  
  
"Bri," he whispered to her. "It's ok. It didn't hurt that much." She stifled a laugh through her tears. "Now what's wrong?"  
  
"I can't tell you," she yelped.  
  
"Oh."  
  
"I'm sorry."  
  
"It's alright, but I've got another question."  
  
"What?" asked Brianna cocking an eyebrow.  
  
"Did you rob Zig's house?" he asked her. She blinked and looked to the ground. She wouldn't look him in the face. He knew what her answer was. "Why?"  
  
"I never said I robbed it you moron!" she shouted in protest.  
  
"Lies cut deep, Brianna."  
  
"DON'T GIVE ME THAT SHIT!" she yelled. Squid grabbed her shoulders and calmed her down.  
  
"STOP!" he commanded.  
  
"I can't! I've had too much!"  
  
"Of what?"  
  
"...Drugs."  
  
"What?" Squid said taken aback. She looked sheepishly into his eyes.  
  
"I've been taken drugs this past year. Are you happy now?" she murmured. He stared at her. He never thought Brianna would take drugs. "The damn place I've been was hell. They treated me like dirt. I felt like dirt. So I ran off and well you could say I got mixed up in the wrong crowd," she added. Squid couldn't believe what she was saying.  
  
"Brianna!" he shouted.  
  
"What?"  
  
"The girls were right," he said. "You have changed." Brianna blinked and popped two more pills into her mouth and went back to the drinking fountain and took a drink. She swallowed the pills and rubbed her head. "What's wrong?"  
  
"Headache," she whispered. Squid looked at her. He realized she looked terrible. She glared at him. "What're ya lookin' at?"  
  
"You," he replied. She rolled her eyes and sighed annoyingly.  
  
"Why d'you keep doin' that for?!" he shouted at her. She turned away. She was unable to look him in the face anymore. She was feeling guilty. She buried her face in her hands and started crying. Squid walked slowly toward her and took her shoulders again. She jerked away. He tried again and this time he held tighter and this time she didn't move. He made her turn around and look at him. He slowly removed her hands from her face and saw the tears running down her face. She wiped them away and hugged Squid crying still.  
  
"Don't leave me," she sobbed. He reluctantly hugged her back.  
  
"I won't," he whispered.  
  
"Really?"  
  
"I won't," he repeated.  
  
"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I didn't mean to steal from Zig's house. Laura picked out the house we were going to hit. I just did it."  
  
"Why didya steal from Zig's house?" asked Squid.  
  
"I had too," she whimpered.  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Never mind. I can't tell you," she whispered to him. "But I am sorry. It's just something you couldn't understand. Just promise me you won't leave me."  
  
"I won't leave you," he said to her. She smiled.  
  
"Thanks."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Author's Note: How was that? ^^ Brianna's starting to scare people. ^^;;; 


	3. Cuts, Blood, Lies

Author Note: *ppl throws mics stuff at me!* AHHHHHH! SORRY! SO SORRY! I just been blank on ideas... Gr.... --; Well uhhhh I finally got inspired by something.. I forgot what it was but who cares right now. lol. So many things inspire me. Oh and I should dedicate this chapter to my buddy Shaily owing to the fact she helped me with the concept of this chapter and that she has broken her leg. LYLAS SHAILY! ^^ You rock my world! BTW: Ziggy and Shaily get really involved in the story in this chappie. Oh and WARNING!!!! SUICIDAL MOMENT YET AGAIN AND SEVERE LANGUAGE!! LOL! I might as well just change the frigging rating.. lol.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Filling In The Holes  
  
Chapter Three: Cuts, Blood, Lies  
  
Brianna was holding tightly to Squid as she felt her guilt rising. She couldn't bare the pain of hurting him. The guilt inside of her was growing. She had to do something. She pushed away looking deeply into his eyes. "No." she whispered.  
  
"No?" he asked looking dumbstruck.  
  
"No," she said firmly turning from him. She started to walk away feeling like she betrayed him, which she had done. He stood there in shock.  
  
"Brianna! Please," he said in a whispered. She stopped for a brief moment and then kept on walking. Her right hand moved upward to her neck and ripped something off of it. She dropped a golden chain onto the ground. She finally disappeared into the crowd leaving Squid behind her.  
  
He felt hurt. He felt rejected. He walked toward the object she had dropped onto the ground. He picked it up and stared it. It was a golden locket on a gold chain. The locket read upon the outside, "Best Friends Forever." He felt his stomach turn. He opened the locket and saw a picture of her and gang on the inside. On the other side was a picture of...  
  
Him.  
  
He looked up at where she had walked away and felt the cold stab of rejection pierce his skin. He shoved the locket into his pocket and walked away in the other direction. He couldn't understand what was wrong with Brianna. Was it the drugs causing her changes or was she hiding something from him.  
  
***  
  
Zig Zag and Shaily were outside of Zig Zag's house sitting on his porch swing. "Who d'you think did it?" asked Zig with his paranoia returning to his voice. Shaily rolled her eyes and glanced at him with her ocean eyes.  
  
"Ricky," she said simply. "Don't you have the biggest security system outta all yer friends? I mean, duh. It would be on camera!" she added. Zig though for a second and glanced at her with a look of surprise and it was quickly replaced by happiness. He jumped up from the swing and ran inside his house.  
  
"C'mon Shail! We've gotta see who did it! I'm not waiting for Squid any longer," said Zig running back outside and grabbing Shaily's arm and dragging her inside. He led her down to where the camera monitors were located. He looked around for the previous day's video. When he found it, he pulled it out and put it into a VCR. Zig pressed the fast forward button and waited for the events that had happened in the night. They saw who were the burglars.  
  
"BRIANNA?!" cried out Shaily looking thunderstruck.  
  
"Brianna? How could she've done it? She's dead," muttered Zig Zag.  
  
"Ricky! She wasn't dead. She came back like two days ago. She's alive. I've seen her, but how could she've stolen from your house.?!" Shaily shrieked.  
  
"Once a thief always a thief."  
  
"Oh thanks! I was a thief too! Ya think I steal anymore!?" shouted Shaily with anger.  
  
"NO! NO! Of course not but Bri was yer leader. So of course she would probably stay the same," Zig said quickly trying to cover up what he had meant. Of course he wouldn't mean it toward his girlfriend but still Brianna was her girlfriend's leader so, it only was natural Brianna stayed the same.  
  
Shaily didn't believe him.  
  
"Dammit! Don't you dare say that about her! You're a damn pyro!" she yelled, marching around the room like a lunatic. She couldn't believe what he had said. Even if he had said it wasn't pointed to her it still hit her hard. "You say that about Brianna, you say it to all the Strips!" shouted Shaily getting ready to leave. Zig stood up and wrapped one arm around Shaily's waist and rested his head on hers.  
  
"I'm sorry," he said quietly.  
  
She pushed away.  
  
"NO! NO!" she screamed. "You'll never be able to take that back! Not ever! Dammit!" she cried out, quickly moving away from Zig. He stared at her looking thoroughly shocked by her outburst of rage.  
  
"Shail..."  
  
She slapped him.  
  
"NO!" she screamed again running out of the room and heading for the door. She swung it open and ran outside slamming it shut. It made a loud "CLACK!" when it hit the doorframe. She went back to her house and ran straight up to her room.  
  
"Shaily?" asked her stepmother.  
  
"Don't talk to me!" she cried as she slammed her bedroom door.  
  
"Oh no," whispered her stepmother. "Something bad must've happened."  
  
"Cheryl let her cool off," commanded Shaily's father who was reading the newspaper. "When she's this upset she needs a little time to calm down. She'll come to you when she's ready." Cheryl nodded and sat down on her armchair.  
  
"Alright then Carl," replied Cheryl.  
  
***  
  
Brianna stopped dead when she got a feeling in her stomach. Brianna and her former gang were so close they knew when someone was upset over something. Kind of like a sixth sense. Brianna stopped and though about who it could be.  
  
"Shaily!" she yelped out to no one. She realized how Zig Zag would tell her first out of anyone his home was robbed. So of course it had to be Shaily. Brianna started to get sick. She stopped at a nearby bench and sat down. She rubbed her head. "Damn. My head's killing me," she whimpered.  
  
"Bri!" said a female voice.  
  
"Laura," said Brianna glancing at the female. Laura smiled evilly again. Brianna let her sit next to her and looked back down to the pavement. "Whaddya want?" asked Brianna rubbing her temple determined to get rid of the headache.  
  
"Well I was wonderin' if ya needed some marijuana?" she asked looking around her suspiciously. Brianna shook her head and began to rub the back of her neck. "Are you sure. Sean just got a whole new shipment in from a nearby city. There's a whole bunch!" Laura said grinning.  
  
"No! I told ya! No!" she shouted. Laura looked a little blank but shrugged it off. Laura got up from the bench and walked away. Brianna pulled out a cigarette and lit it up. She took drag of it and exhaled the smoke. She leaned back with her head looking up at the midday sky. "Pathetic life," she muttered. "I don't deserve to live."  
  
She got up and walked to an ally and turned her back to the street. She pulled out a switchblade.  
  
**Flashback**  
  
"Brianna! What the hell are you doing?" said Squid blinking madly at this scenario. She rubbed her head and stared at her blade again. "You can't do that!"  
  
"The hell I can!" she shouted back. "I'll kill myself and no one'll have to hear about my pathetic life again! DAMMIT!" Squid looked shocked at Brianna's change in attitude. He glanced at Shaily who bit her lip.  
  
"Her mother was killed," Shaily whispered over to Squid. He blinked and looked back at Brianna.  
  
"Don't do this," he said simply.  
  
"Fuck off!" Brianna screamed. Brianna felt tears staining her eyes again. She let them fall. "Life is so worthless.." she whispered. She sat down on her cot and dropped her switchblade and buried her ace in her hands. Shaily was about to walk over to Brianna but Squid stopped her.  
  
"Don't." he whispered. Shaily smiled and pushed the girls out of her the tent.  
  
"HEY WAIT! I WANNA SEE WHAT HAPPENS!" cried out Kayla as Michelle and Marla drug her out of the tent. Squid rolled his eyes, shook his head and smiled. Squid walked over to Brianna and sat next to her.  
  
"Brianna, you going to be ok?" he whispered to her.  
  
"What d'you think!" she whimpered. She finally rose up from her hands and Squid saw the tears that had fallen down her face. It hurt him to see her like this. She wiped away her tears and picked up her switchblade.  
  
"Whoa, no common. You really don't need to start this again."  
  
"I'm not going to do it. I'd never have the guts to cut myself to death. I could kill myself but never with a switchblade. It just makes me feel a little better." she whispered.  
  
**End of Flashback**  
  
"I'm a stupid lying bitch!" she said to herself staring at her switchblade. "I could and I will slit my neck. I would. I don't deserve living in this damn world. Alan deserves so much better than me... I'm a liar, a thief, and a drug addict... He deserves the best. Not me..."  
  
She got her switchblade and flipped it open. The blade glimmered and she placed it onto her wrist. The cool, sliver blade began to cut her right wrist. Blood began to fall down her arm creating a stream of blood running down her arm. Tears silently fell down her face. "I let everyone down... Everyone!" she said cutting herself again.  
  
Blood falling.  
  
***  
  
Squid stopped. Something was keeping him from going any further from Brianna. Something was wrong. He turned around and walked in the direction she had ran away in. What was happening that made him stop? He grew worried about her. What was she doing? He began to run faster. What if she was hurt? What if it wasn't even Brianna that was stopping him?  
  
***  
  
Brianna watched the blood trickle down her arm. She winced in pain, but she liked it. She liked the pain. "Bullet proofs the soul. Pain is the only option. I must punish myself in order to bullet proof my soul." she whimpered as the blood spattered onto the floor. She brought the blade to her left shoulder and slashed it. Blood flooded out of the cut. She felt light headed and she couldn't see straight. Her eyes fluttered and finally she couldn't take it.  
  
She collapsed.  
  
She became unconscious. She fell into the pool of her own blood.  
  
***  
  
Squid was walking down the street and saw a TV shop. He stopped to see what was going on.  
  
"Breaking news! Earlier today a midteen female was found in an ally today. She was cut on her right wrist and a gash in her left shoulder. She was found by a citizen and brought to the local hospital. She lost a considerable amount of blood, which could prove fatal to her. More details at eleven," said the reporter.  
  
"What!?" shouted Squid looking flabbergasted by this. He decided to go the hospital and see what happened. "Brianna..." he hissed in a low voice. He started to run toward the local hospital.  
  
***  
  
Shaily sat in her room shocked by the breaking news. "BRIANNA!" she cried out. She grabbed the phone and dialed Kayla's number. "KAYLA!"  
  
"I know I already saw it. You think it was-?" asked Kayla.  
  
"Hell yes! I mean Brianna has got a past of being rather suicidal. Unless she was jumped which I doubt, but you never know!" cried Shaily.  
  
"I know!" Kayla said firmly. "I'll call the other girls. Meet me at the hospital ASAP! Ok?"  
  
"Right, of course!" Shaily answered.  
  
"Ok see you later!" Kayla said as she hung up the phone to call the other girls. Shaily hung the phone up and ran down the stairs and out the door. She grabbed her bike and began to peddle toward the hospital.  
  
What if Brianna actually went through with her suicidal ways this time?  
  
What if she actually killed herself? 


	4. We Need You, I Need You

Author's Note: Just to let some of you know a lot of your questions in your reviews will be answered here. Ok? Oh yea. I'm dedicating this chapter to my buddy Kayla! LYLAS! You've always been there for me! Even through the rough times! YOU RULE!  
  
BTW: Brianna's going to finally open up... You've all been dying to know her entire life and why it's driven her to a suicidal life. You're going to find out.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Chapter Four: We Need You, I Need You  
  
Squid arrived at the hospital. He looked around and saw Shaily riding on her bike toward the hospital as well. When she got close enough she hopped off her bike and locked it up on the bike rack. She looked at Squid with worry filling her eyes. "You heard about it too?" Squid asked.  
  
"Yeah," she managed to say. "Kayla's getting the rest of the gang and I've gotta meet them here. We're going to see if that was Brianna." Squid nodded and noticed something about Shaily.  
  
"Hey what's wrong? You're not acting all peppy today." Squid said pointing out Shaily's unusual behavior to her. She took a deep breath and exhaled. Then she looked out onto the street. She shut her eyes as she remembered the earlier events. Then finally after she replayed the events at least five times in her head. She looked back to Squid with her ocean blue eyes.  
  
"Bri was the person who robbed Ricky's house," Shaily whispered. Squid's eyes widened and was amazed that she knew.  
  
"How d'you know she robbed Zig's house?" Squid asked. Shaily smirked and pushed a strand of her hair behind her ear.  
  
"Duh! Ricky's got the biggest security system out of all of us. He caught her on tape. She must've forgotten his paranoia and obsession with cameras," Shaily said laughing a little. That made her feel a little better. She regretted slapping Ricky but still what he said he could never take back.  
  
"SHAIL! WE'RE HERE!" shouted Kayla joining Squid and Shaily, with a worried look on her face. "C'mon we've gotta go see her!" They all nodded and went inside the hospital with Kayla leading them into the lobby. Kayla approached the info desk and got the receptionist's attention.  
  
"Yes," the woman asked as she put down the magazine she was reading.  
  
"I was wonderin' what room the girl who was stabbed is in?" Kayla asked. The woman stared at Kayla for a moment and sighed. The receptionist went over to her computer and looked under a file and came back five minutes later.  
  
"She's in room 123 on the fourth floor in the ICU. Only close friends and family can see her. Would she know you?" asked the receptionist looking at Kayla through her glasses. Kayla nodded and motioned for the group.  
  
"We all are," added Kayla.  
  
"Fine. Go on then. That girl does have a right not to allow you into the room so if a nurse asks you to leave you must leave. All right?" The group nodded and they headed to the elevator. Squid pressed the button and one opened and they stampeded inside the elevator. They were all cramped together. Kayla pressed the fourth floor button and they waited. Finally they got the fourth floor and headed to the ICU.  
  
"She's in room 123. So look for her room ok," commanded Kayla. The girls and Squid nodded and they spilt into twos. Marla went with Susan to look at the North side. Kayla and Michelle were paired together and looked in the South side. Squid and Shaily were the only two left and they looked in the center area.  
  
***  
  
"Do you think she actually did it this time?" asked Marla. Susan shrugged.  
  
"How would I know? Bri, did have a rough life and she had threatened to do it before. Who knows? Just keep lookin' for her damn room!" Susan said looking at another room number. They kept searching.  
  
***  
  
"Why the hell did she do this!" whimpered Michelle. She glanced at another room number and sighed. Kayla frowned and remained strong for her gang. "I mean, God, If she died I'd go into depression! You know how I was when she faked her death! I was in hysterics!" Michelle said remembering the past year's grief and pain. "Then she came back and I was so happy. I mean I never thought that I was actually right! I knew she wasn't dead, but as the days, weeks, and months went on I began to realize how stupid it sounded that she was alive. She I began to believe she was dead. But she came back but totally different. With the drugs, the robbery Shaily told us about, and this suicide attempt, she's really gone mad!"  
  
Kayla glanced at another room number. 'Nope not the right one,' she said to herself. She proceeded to walk along the hallways on the South side with Michelle. "I don't know why. She has changed. God only knows what she went through. She had a horrible family life. I mean none of us went through what she did." Kayla replied remembering, watching the bullet the "should have" killed Brianna hit her stomach one year ago.  
  
***  
  
"Hey Squid," said Shaily after she looked at two room numbers and sighed annoyingly.  
  
"Yea?" he replied in a question which pestered Shaily.  
  
"Did you know Brianna rubbed Ricky's house?"  
  
"Yeah," Squid answered quietly. Shaily blinked and walked up to him.  
  
"Why didn't you tell me!" she growled at him. He sighed and leaned up against a wall. His eyes moved to the floor. Shaily was growing irritated. "Why didn't you tell me?" she repeated. Squid frowned and finally looked Shaily in the face.  
  
"Me and Bri had a fight after I found out about her robbing the house. She slapped me and then told me about her taking drugs and I mean actually taking them. She started crying and we made up really fast and I hugged her tightly. I asked her about the robbery at Zig's house. She wouldn't tell me, but she did tell me she did it," Squid muttered as he stopped leaning against the wall and looked at another room. "Hey we're getting close!" he said changing the subject. "This is room 121. Her room should be a little further down. I'll look for it. You can go get the girls. Ok?" he instructed. Shaily nodded and went to fetch the others.  
  
Squid continued down the hall until he found her hospital room. He stuck his head into the room and glanced inside it. He saw a brunette girl in the bed. She looked irritated. A nurse was sitting next the girl. "Brianna..." Squid murmured almost in a whispered. He pulled his head from the door and went back into hallway. He looked up to the ceiling. He felt the pain of guilt hit him hard in the chest. He felt as though he shoud've went after her. If he did maybe she wouldn't have done this.  
  
"Squid!" Kayla said waving her arm in the air to him. He looked around and smiled weakly and nodded his head in the direction of her room. The girls looked into the room and gasped. "Is that her?" asked Kayla.  
  
"Yeah," Squid muttered. Kayla motioned the girls to step back and they did so. Then Kayla knocked on the door and the nurse got up from the chair and walked to the door.  
  
"May I help you?" asked the nurse.  
  
"Yes, we're all very close friends of this girls," Kayla answered.  
  
"You must be Kayla, Shaily, Michelle, Susan, and Alan," the nurse said. "Brianna's been talking nonstop about you people." The girls beamed and Squid flinched at the nurse using his real name. They nodded.  
  
"We came to see Bri," said Kayla. The nurse nodded let them into the room. Brianna glared at the girls and Alan. Her arm was bandaged and so was her shoulder. Red blood could barely be seen on her bandaged. She was hooked up to an IV and was also hooked up to a blood bag. She looked horrible. Her face was pale and looked sickly.  
  
"What're you all doing here?" she snapped.  
  
"To see you," the group said in unison. She glared at them again and sighed.  
  
"I'm surprised that you would," she snapped again. They all stared at her. Brianna licked her lips and her face softened. Brianna's lips finally broke into a smile.  
  
"Charm? Can we ask you something?" asked Shaily looking nervous.  
  
"I guess," Brianna answered.  
  
"Did you cut yourself or did someone else?"  
  
"Hell yea I fucking cut myself. No one needs me in this world and I don't wanna be apart of it either. I wanna go to hell!" growled Brianna looking at her former gang and Squid. She noticed a look of guilt in Squid's eyes. She grinned at him. "It isn't yer fault Alan," she whispered hoarsely. He blinked. "I know yer thinkin' ya should've went afta me but I woulda done it anyway. I don't care anymore! I don't! Anything else ya wanna know?"  
  
"What was in Ricky's house that you had to steal?" asked Shaily. Brianna cocked an eyebrow and gave a muffled laugh. She rolled her eyes and sighed.  
  
"I didn't pick the house but we stole from Zig's house 'cause he lives where an old drug gang used to stash their supply. In his basement there's a secret room with a bunch of drugs in it and we had to rummage through his house to find the way to the basement. And yea I couldn't help myself when I stole his stereo and his videos. You know me," she whispered.   
  
"But wouldn't Ricky have known about the room?"  
  
"Of course Zig didn't know! Not many people know it's there and I'll get my ass kicked if Laura finds out I told ya about this. I'm not supposed to tell anyone."  
  
"Why were stealing drugs!?" asked Michelle looking shocked. Brianna smirked again and glanced at Michelle. Michelle was trembling she was so nervous.  
  
"Ah! Well, there's a great story about that too. Remember the drug job I was pulling? Well, it was for Laura and me. Last year I got hooked on marijuana. Ok? I was running with a really bad crowd 'cause the family were a bunch of rich bitches," grumbled Brianna. The past year replayed in her mind. Living in such a horrible place.  
  
*Flashback*  
  
"BRIANNA! Get down here!" shouted a female voice.  
  
"I'm coming! Don't have a cow, Catharine! Damn!" Brianna shouted down the stairs of the attic which she lived in. She had been living with some family friends after she "died." Brianna climbed down the stair with her ripped cloths and rolled her eyes when she saw the clean house yet again. She saw it every morning. It was driving her mad. She needed to be in trouble. Her devilish side was itching to come out and rob the house blind.  
  
"You have company. They're waiting outside." Catharine said pointing to the door. Brianna's face lit up and swung the door open. Outside, was a group of teenagers like herself and dressed like as well. They were from the so-called "ghettos" in the town she lived in. Brianna slammed the door behind her and the group began to walk down the street and turned into a dark ally.  
  
"You bring it?" Brianna asked a sandy blonde male. He winked and grinned. He passed her a bit of marijuana. Brianna took it and inhaled it. The sandy blonde boy had a beer in his hand and he took a drink of it. There was also a redhead girl with him and she was giggling like mad. 'She must already be high,' Brianna said to herself as the drug began to take its toll on her. "Hey lemme have some of that stuff!" Brianna asked the sandy blonde boy.  
  
"What stuff?" he asked.  
  
"Don't be stupid! Beer you moron!" she snapped. He grinned again and threw her a can of beer and she took a sip of it. The redhead was laughing out to nothing. Brianna rolled her eyes but she heard a noise. "You guys be quiet!" Brianna instructed. She stuck her head out of the ally and looked down the road.  
  
She saw a police car.  
  
"SHIT! Guys! We've gotta go! The cops! C'mon hurry!" Brianna yelped. The boy and girl went white with horror and they ran further down the ally with Brianna behind them. They all hopped the fence and sat down.  
  
"That was close," whispered the redhead. Brianna and the boy nodded. Then they burst into laughter.  
  
"That was one hell of a rush! Whew!" Brianna said laughing. She liked the adrenaline rush of running from the cops. It made her feel alive. It made her feel free and happy. She felt that she belonged.  
  
"Yeah, that was fun!" snorted the sandy blonde boy.  
  
"We should do this again some other night!" Brianna added.  
  
"Hell yeah!" laughed the redhead.  
  
"Are you skipping tomorrow Bri?" asked the blonde boy. Brianna nodded and smiled at him. "Good! I'll meet you at the park. You know where. What about you Sherri?"  
  
"Probably, but if I get caught my dad'll kill me so we've gotta be extra careful. Please?" whined the redhead named Sherri. "Pppppllllleeeeaaaasssseeee Matt! PLEASE!"  
  
"Fine whatever," said the boy named Matt. "I'll see you wonderful ladies tomorrow then!"  
  
*End of Flashback*  
  
"Charm? CHARM!" shouted Kayla. Brianna shook her head and blinked.  
  
"Yeah what!?" she said staring at her friend.  
  
"We asked you why you cut yerself?" Squid said looking anxious. She grinned.  
  
"I already told you. The world doesn't need someone like me. This is exactly what I am. I'm a stupid, suicidal, drug addicted, lying, good for nothing bitch!" Brianna said laughing insanely. Squid and The Strips stared at her amazed she would say such a thing.  
  
"You are not!" protested Squid.  
  
"People do need you!" cried Marla.  
  
"Your family needs you!" shouted Kayla in frustration.  
  
"Your friends need you," whimpered Shaily.  
  
"THE STRIPS NEED YOU!" Susan screamed in tears.  
  
"I need you," Squid said softly. He leaned into Brianna and got inches from her face. He kissed her gently on the forehead, then on the cheek, and on the lips. She blushed and sat up only to have to lay back down.  
  
"Damn blood infusion... Working already!" Brianna complained feeling dizzy from her blood infusion. Everyone laughed.  
  
"We all need Bri and there's nothing I love more about you than your stubbornness," Squid added to his last comment. He leaned to kiss her again but she pushed him away. He stared blankly at her. "What're doin' Brianna?!"  
  
"NO! DON'T DO IT!" she screamed glaring at him. She sat up quickly and ripped out her IV and blood infusion. "I HATE YOU! I HATE ALL OF YOU! Dammit!" she said covering her face with her hands because of her tears. "You don't know..."  
  
"Know what?" asked Michelle.  
  
"What it's like living where I grew up! You'll never know! NEVER! It was terrible watching my mother suffer in the hands of my bastard father! He abused me! He choked me and then threw me against a wall after I tried to help my Mom when I was only five! He tried to kill me once. He was trying to suffocate me with a pillow while I was asleep! He didn't do it because I woke up and screamed. Then about two weeks later he left our family. My Mom was left to take care four children including me and herself. We were able to get by for a few years. Mark, my older brother, worked at a store and helped with the income. My Mom was working one job since Mark and Sarah both were working to help the family. But then one day..." Brianna said sobbing. She was choking back the tears that were ready to stream down her face.  
  
"What happen?" Squid asked gently, sitting next to her on the bed.  
  
"One day, when I was ten... My brother Mark was killed in a driveby shoot by a city gang while he was walking home from his job. That was one of the worst days of my life. Sarah couldn't take it so about six months later she left saying she was tired of our family. I stayed along with Jason to help my mother. I was still ten at this point and now in fifth grade. I met Marcus "Mad Dog" Sheldon. I thought he was the one and so I started dating him and then joined the Scorpions."  
  
"So you went lying about you being in the Scorpions," muttered Kayla. Brianna nodded sadly lifting her face from her hands. Her emerald eyes were puffy and red from her tears.  
  
"Well, three months went by without any fuss between Mad Dog and I. My birthday was approaching and I was going to be eleven. Well, it was a month before my birthday when Mad Dog and I started to argue. He never hit me just verbally abused me, but it didn't hurt me. As long as I didn't believe him I was ok. If I could survive my father's physical abusiveness I could live through verbal abuse. Well, I was growing irritated by Mad Dog and decided that I would leave. That's when I started to form "The Strips" behind his back. After I finally had "The Strips" formed it was almost time for summer break. The last day of school before summer I broke it off with Mad Dog and left his gang to have my own. He wasn't exactly thrilled." Brianna explained. Her friends and boyfriend stared in shock at what she had told them.  
  
"What else haven't you told us?" asked Shaily now pulling a chair to sit on as Brianna began to continue her story.  
  
Yeah! What else! C'mon!" urged Michelle also getting a chair.  
  
"Please! Tell us more!" whined Marla as she sat on the arm of Shaily's chair.  
  
"Yeah!" exclaimed Susan now sitting on the arm of Michelle's chair. Kayla moved from her place at the wall over to the other side of Brianna and sat next to her.  
  
"Well, seventh grade was the year The Strips finally was born. We spent the whole summer getting our names written down at NOPD. We were finally infamously famous. We were the Shoplifting Seven some people called us. There were a bunch of names that were given to us because of our shoplifting and robbing skills. I remembered some were the Shoplifting Seven, The Seven Bandits, The Hudenettes, and one of my favorites, The Shoplifting Shedevils. But it wasn't until we stole money and toys from a zoo's giftshop that I figured out what our gang name would be. While Shaily and Susan were stealing the money, Kayla and Mel were breaking the cameras, Marla, Michelle and I were stealing some toys for my brother. There were stuffed tigers and those were his favorite animal. Tigers. It hit me, "The Strips" became our name. We each have a tattoo on the back of our right shoulder of a tiger and our nicknames." Brianna added to her story. She stopped and looked at her gang with depression.  
  
She lifted the right sleeve of her hospital gown and exposed her tattoo of a tiger. Brianna's tattoo read, 'The Strips' on top of the tiger and under it read, 'Charm'. The other girls lifted their sleeves to expose their marks. Kayla's read, 'Claw'. Michelle's read, 'Sticky Fingers'. Marla's read, 'Stealin Shedevil'. Shaily's read, 'Money Bunny'. Susan's read, 'Lockpick'.  
  
"I wish Mel was here. I loved her nickname," giggled Michelle and Shaily. The others except for Squid rolled their eyes looking annoyed.  
  
"What did her's say?" asked Squid looking blank.  
  
"Mel's nickname was Mischief. So naturally her tattoo said, 'Mischief' on it," giggled Michelle. Shaily laughed too.  
  
"Girls! It isn't that funny. My God!" grumbled Kayla under her breath. Brianna laughed and pushed a strand of hair behind her ear. "OH MY GOD! SHE LAUGHED! I MEAN LAUGH LAUGH!" Kayla said gasping.  
  
"She did? She actually laughed like "haha funny laugh"!" blinked Michelle. Brianna stared at her former gang hopelessly. Squid grinned and gently kissed her cheek. Brianna smiled again and rested her head on his shoulder.  
  
"Girls! Shut up! I don't think she finished her story yet!" whined Susan.  
  
"OH YEAH!" the others chimed in unison. Brianna took a deep breath and sighed.  
  
"Well as I was saying, I was now eleven going on twelve. My gang had just stared. I had left the Scorpions and Mad Dog behind. I was stealing and selling on the TBM to get money for my family. Sometimes I got so desperate that instead of stealing money or items I'd just steal the damn food! Well our seventh year ended and it had been a year since our gang formed, Mad Dog found out. Now that I was twelve I was older and wasn't exactly as stupid as I was when I was ten. Mad Dog would often stalk me around places until my gang and I finally called for a fight to mark who had what territory. We won most of Central New Orleans and they got the North Side along with the New Orleans Operation, which is another gang. We shared our territory with the Bloodhounds, The Alligators, and the Gator Claws. They were small but powerful gangs and we were lucky to have'em as allies. The South Side was controlled by the Dead Bloods and The Undead. They were I guess you could say allies if we asked them to fight off the Scorpions they would help but they would fight us too, but they learned not to mess with the Central Gangs." Brianna explained. Her former gang nodded remembering the gangs. Squid looked absorbed by all this.  
  
"Well two years went by and we became the most citywide known gang in New Orleans. There was no one who didn't know about us. Well we were fourteen now and in our first year of High School. Mad Dog finally had a place he could corner me in, since I wasn't always with a gang member. Well after lunch he came up behind me and covered my mouth and you could say kidnapped me but not without a fight. He threw me into his car and drove off somewhere I forgot exactly either that or I don't wanna remember. And he pulled me outta his car and begged me to come back to the Scorpions but I refused. He got so mad he ... well," Brianna said stuttering her last sentence.  
  
"What did he do?" asked Kayla.  
  
"Yeah! What did the sleazeball freak do to you!" Michelle said fiercely. Brianna stared at her. "What? What?" Michelle asked looking lost. Brianna shook her head and giggled a little.  
  
"Well Mad Dog ... sorta raped me..." she stuttered frowning.  
  
"HE WHAT!?!" Michelle and Squid shouted looking outraged.  
  
"EW! GROSS! I KNEW HE WAS A SICK PIG!" cried out Marla in disgust.  
  
"OH NOW THAT'S JUST WRONG! MAD DOG'S A FREAK! EWW!!!" Kayla and Shaily screamed in unison while shuddering at the thought of Mad Dog doing that.  
  
"AW MAN THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S JUST COMPLETELY GROSS!" Susan gasped while flinching.  
  
"Yeah," Brianna stuttered. "He did but I was afraid so I didn't really fight back though I did get away and ran to the police station. They just laughed. I should've known they would laugh at me, I mean they would never believe the leader of The Strips now would they?!" Brianna felt tears well in her eyes and she buried her face into her hands. "And that's why I was so mean to you Alan... I was afraid you'd be mean like him... I was afraid of being hurt, but you changed me Alan. You made me believe there was love that couldn't hurt me but save me..." she said turning and looking Squid in the eyes.  
  
"It's no problem Brianna, I was happy to help a cute girl like you." He replied winking at her. She rolled her eyes.  
  
"That was pathetic."  
  
"Haha. Funny." He muttered flatly. The girls howled with laughter and Brianna kissed Squid lightly on the cheek.  
  
"Well," Brianna started going to finish the story of her past. "Two more years flew by and we were all sixteen. There was the JCP Plan that was pinned on us and also we were uhm... Kinda caught stealing money and other stuff at a local New Orleans K-Mart. We forgot to turn off a camera and it caught all of on tape shoplifting and stealing money. So the JCP Plan, which we were NEVER apart of, and the K-Mart incident got us landed at Camp Green Lake since we didn't want to go back to that damn Juvie Jail for two and half years."  
  
"Brianna," Squid whispered in her ear.  
  
"Yeah?" she asked.  
  
"Promise me you won't ever cut yerself again."  
  
"I can't promise. I don't believe in promises anymore. But I'll try. Why?" she said looking into his dark brown eyes.  
  
"We need you, I need you."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Author Note: OMG! I DIDN'T HAVE A CLIFFHANGER! AH!! Well if you think this a cliffhanger ok and if you don't ok. Well I love your comments and junk. And NO SHAILY I'M NOT WRITING ABOUT WHITE COATS COMING TO GET YOU! This is a serious story you dummy! But hell.. I LYLAS anyway! lol! I'll update soon! GIMME FEEDBACK! PLEASE ^_~ 


	5. Stealin' Shedevil's Fall

Author's Note: *people throw misc thing at me* AHHHH! I'm sorry I'm sorry! I just haven't had any ideas lately until I heard this song and you get the point. Very bad chapter with severe language and violence. Squid gets hurt for you fellow Squid fans. I know I know.. It hurts me too.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Chapter Five: Stealin' Shedevil's Fall  
  
Brianna was feeling woozy. "Whoa," Brianna said dizzily.  
  
"What?" asked Squid.  
  
"Damn blood infusion!" cursed Brianna. She rubbed her head. "I gotta lie down," she slurred. Kayla and Squid got up from her bed and Brianna slowly placed her head onto her pillow. Squid pulled her blanket over here and kissed her forehead. "I'm tired," she whispered.  
  
"Go to sleep," suggested Squid.  
  
"No really I'm not that tired."  
  
"Go to sleep," he said again. She smiled weakly and her eyes slowly shut. The other girls smiled and then walked out of the room. Squid remained in the room watching Brianna sleep. She looked so peacful while she slept. It was hard to believe this seveteen year old girl had such a hard life. He stood up and kissed her lightly on the lips. He headed to the door and silently shut the door. He walked to the elevator, went to the ground floor, and then left the hospital.  
  
As he headed home he got a strange feeling someone was following him. Squid turned around and saw no one behind him. He shrugged and kept walking toward his house. He was about halfway to his house when someone stepped in front of him. "Excuse me," Squid said. He tried to move around the female but couldn't.  
  
"Alan..." she hissed.  
  
"You're the one from Camp Green Lake aren't you!" shouted another voice. Squid turned and saw a redhead male. He looked oddly familar. Squid stared at him. It hit him.  
  
"Terry!" Squid shouted. Terry nodded.  
  
"Where's Charm?" asked another male voice. It was cold and drawling. Squid looked back to the blonde girl and saw a brunette male standing in front of her. He was wearing a muscle shirt with a black leather jacket. He had baggy deniem jeans on and a chain on his pants. In his hand to Squid's horror was a switchblade. "C'mon ya idiot! Where is the sexy little bitch!"  
  
"You're Mad Dog aren't you," said Squid. Mad Dog nodded and smirked. He flashed the blade at Squid. "Damn," Squid thought. "These guys are rough. They tore Bri apart back in New Orleans. I gotta be careful." The other two people pulled out a blade and flashed it at Squid.  
  
"Where is the damn bitch!" Mad Dog shouted.  
  
"I'm not going to tell you!" Squid yelled. Terry grabbed Squid's arms and threw him into an alley. Squid fell hard againest a dumpster. Terry, Mad Dog, and the blonde female were gaining ground on Squid.  
  
"Shit," he whispered.  
  
"I advise you to tell us where Charm is," Terry commanded. Squid smirked.  
  
"Why so your leader can rape her again?" he asked. Mad Dog twitched and slashed his blade at cheek. Squid cursed and placed a hand at his left cheek. Blood seeped through his fingers. "What's wrong? Are you embarrassed that you can't get a girl without raping them first?" Squid added (*sigh* Squid really needs to learn to shut up). Mad Dog slashed him again.  
  
"Ya shut yer fuckin' mouth ya hear," shouted the blonde girl.  
  
"Silence Blondie! I'm the damn leader I'll tell you when you can speak you fucking bitch!" Mad Dog growled. THe blonde nodded and backed away. Mad Dog turned back to Squid. He moved closer to Squid and kneeled on the ground and grabbed Squid's collar. Mad Dog glared into Squid's brown eyes. "You betta tell me where she is... I know she's alive the fucked up bitch," threatened Mad Dog as Squid felt the cold sharp blade on his throat. "And don't lie cuz I'll slit your throat."  
  
"I won't tell you," Squid shouted. Mad Dog Flung his blade it pierced Squid in the back of the throat. Blood everywhere. Squid was loosing conscience. He let out a yell of pain before he was hit again.  
  
***  
  
The Strips were walking along the street back to their houses. They heard someone yell. Shaily glanced at Kayla. "That sounded like Squid," Shaily said. Kayla nodded.  
  
"You heard her girls. Let's go!" Kayla instructed. The girls nodded and they ran off to find Squid. Kayla led the girls into most of the alleys. Michelle saw a blonde teenaged female standing outside one. Michelle motioned to the girl.  
  
"Is that...?" Marla asked.  
  
"I think it is..." said Susan.  
  
"Oh shit!" Shaily cursed.  
  
"They're here!?" asked Kayla in shock. The others nodded. Kayla sighed and led her gang toward the blonde girl. When they were close enough Kayla shouted, "Hey Blondie! Been fucked up lately?!" Blondie turned around and gasped at the sight of the girls. She ran into the alley and the girls followed. THe girls gasped when they saw Squid on the ground againest a dumpster. Kayla glanced at the girls, "Susan and Michelle you take Terry. Shaily you got Blondie. Me and Marla's got Mad Dog. Ok? READY GO!"  
  
"OH SHIT!" shouted Terry as Michelle pounced on him and punched him across the face. Susan grabbed his switchblade and dangled it threateningly above him. He whimpered in fear and then let out a howl of pain.  
  
"OW! OW! MY HAIR! BITCH!" shouted Shaily. Shaily looked around her quickly and saw a stick. THat would work on Blondie. She was a weakling. Shaily dodged Blondie's assault and grabbed the stick and swung it so it hit Blondie on the right side. Blondie screamed in pain and fell crumpled to the ground. "THIS IS FOR BRIANNA!" Shaily screamed as she hit Blondie again this time in the back. Blondie laid perfectly still this time and didn't move but only to breath. "And you betta stay down you bitch."  
  
"Let him go!" shouted Kayla before Mad Dog hit Squid again. Mad Dog turned and glared at Kayla and Marla. "Marla you get Squid," whispered Kayla. Marla nodded and headed to Squid. Kayla smirked at Mad Dog. "Mad Dog..."  
  
"Claw..." he hissed. "Where's yer leader? C'MON CHARM COME OUT OF HIDING!"  
  
"Bri's not our leader anymore..." whispered Kayla pulling out a switchblade.  
  
"Squid! C'mon," whispered Marla as she helped him up. She glanced at Kayla who was now gaining ground on Mad Dog. Kayla took the first slash and hit him clear across the face. Marla turned her attention back to Squid. She helped him up and helped him walk out of the alley and to his house.  
  
His mother went into a fuss. "What happened to him!?" she screamed. Marla and Squid smiled weakly. Marla explained the scenrio Squid was in. She sighed and grabbed her first aid kit. Marla put the bandages around Squid's neck.  
  
"It's not deep trust me. I'd know. THe knick on your cheek should get better soon. It's a shallow cut too." Marla insisted.  
  
***  
  
"AH!" cried out Kayla hitting the tar hard.  
  
The girls looked up from their own targets and stared at Kayla. She was pinned down by Mad Dog and he threatened to stab her. "Dammit Kayla move!" shouted Shaily.  
  
***  
  
Marla looked at Squid. "I've gotta go back and helped the girls. We'll check up on you later," she whispered. Squid nodded and laid down on his couch. Marla crept out the door and headed back to the street fight. She prayed no one was getting hurt. It took her five minutes to get back there and she gasped when she saw Kayla. "KAYLA!"  
  
The other girls looked up and blinked. "Marla!" shouted Susan. "GET OUT OF THERE!"  
  
"NO!"  
  
"DON'T BE THICK!"  
  
"I'M NOT! I'M DOING THIS FOR KAYLA AND BRIANNA! WE OWE IT TO THEM!" shouted Marla as she ran toward Mad Dog and pushed him off Kayla. Mad Dog took his frustration out on her and the blade pierced Marla's right side. She screamed.  
  
"MARLA!" chorused the girls.  
  
There was no answer. Mad Dog stood up and kicked Marla in the ribs and stalked off. "I'll find that bitch..." he hissed to them. THe girls didn't care that Terry and Blondie had gotten up and left with their leader. THey cared about Marla.  
  
"MARLA!" Shaily cried.  
  
They saw Marla's cripled body laying motionless on the ground. "Oh shit!" Susan cringed. A pool of blood surrounded Marla motionless young body. Michelle ran out into the streets and yelled for help. Kayla kneeled next to Marla.  
  
"Marla...?" she asked frightened.  
  
"He..y... Kay...la," Marla stuttered. "I'm sorry.. I wasn't... quick enough..."  
  
"Shh! You did great. Bri would be proud."  
  
"THanks for yelling at me at that damn... camp..." Marla slurred. "If you didn't I wouldn't have saved you... Or respect Bri..."  
  
"Shut up! You're hurt."  
  
"I know... I'm gonna see Mel again..."  
  
"Don't talk like that!" yelped Susan joining Kayla. Michelle had finally gotten someone to lend her their cell phone. Michelle called 911 and they waited anxiously for the paramedics. About five minutes went by and the paramedics arrived and grabbed Marla's bleeding body. THe paramedics weren't very hopeful either.  
  
"We're not sure we can save her... SHe's lost a lot of blood. There's not much we can do. I doubt the doctors at the hospital know what to do in this case," said the female paramedic. Kayla looked at her gang and saw they were in tears. "She's not going to live much longer..."  
  
"Dammit!" cursed Kayla.  
  
"You girls can go and see her."  
  
"Right."  
  
The four girls piled into the ambulance and saw Marla staring up. She was breathing rasply. Susan apporached her first. "Hey Stealin' Shedevil... You better tell Mischief that we all said hi ok. Tell her Bri's doin' good too. Oh God! We're going to miss you girl! You can't leave..." Susan cried and looked away.  
  
"Stealin' Shedevil... Remember all the good times we've had ok? You betta or I'll come afta ya!" said a whimpering Michelle.  
  
"Charm's gonna be real proud of you. You saved a member's life. You're totally awesome." Shaily said in tears.  
  
"God's speed to you Stealin' Shedevil. You and Mischief betta be waitin' for us. We're gonna miss you..." whispered Kayla trying to be strong. Marla smiled weakly and glanced at the four girls whom she considered her best friends.  
  
"Two's missing..." Marla coughed.  
  
"What?" asked Susan.  
  
"Charm and Mischief aren't here to see me off. I wish they were here but they can't. Charm's in the hospital and Mischief's dead. Well anyway... I'll miss ya'll.. Tell Hector.. I love him.. You guys take care of him..." Marla whispered. They nodded and watched Marla smile happily. "I'll be waiting.." she said. Finally she grew limp and she drew in her last intake of air and exhaled. Her eyes slowly closed.  
  
She was gone...  
  
The girls except for Kayla burst into tears and ran off the ambulance. Kayla glanced at Marla and walked off the ambulance after the girls. THe paramedic said, "What d'you want us to do with the body?"  
  
"Kepp it for now. We've gotta talk with her parents. Please. She wants to be buried in New Orleans so we've gotta talk with her parents." Kayla said. The paramedic nodded and placed a cover over Marla's dead body. Kayla looked away. "I'll kill you Mad Dog... I'll kill you..." she hissed. She felt a tap on her shoulder. Kayla turned and saw Shaily. "What?"  
  
"How are we gonna tell Charm, Zero, and the others Stealin' Shedevil's dead?"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Author's Note: Cliffhanger! Heehee! Well I hope you like it... *cries* SORRY MARLA BUT I HAD TO KILL YOU OFF! I'M SO SORRY! BUT THE OTHER GIRLS WERE GOING TO PLAY A HUGE ROLE AND YOU WELL DIDN'T... I know I know.. I'm sorry! I still LYLAS! One of my BFs! Well R+R! ^^ 


	6. This is War

Author's Note: I'm glad some of you like my stories. ^^ Well uhhhhh... The last chapter! Whoa!!!! Brianna was hardly in it! Ack! ^_~ Well uh here's a few words i gotta tell! ^^  
  
Kayla aka Lemonlicious: You're an awesome friend. No matter what I could never be mad at you. AND I LOVE YOUR STORY! IT ROX!  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Chapter Six: This is War  
  
Cold. Icy cold. Something happened. Who? What? Brianna walked closer to the corpse with a cover on its face. Pain was tugging. Who was it? Why was it hurting her? She didn't know who it was. Right? She walked closer to the table and looked down upon the cover. She took it by the top and peeled away the cover slowly. She gasped.  
  
Marla...  
  
"MARLA!" Brianna shouted as she shot up in her bed in a cold dripping sweat. The nurse that was stationed in her room looked alarmed. "MARLA! NO! MARLA!" she screamed. The nurse grabbed Brianna and forced her to lay back down. "Stop it! Dammit! Marla's dead! NO! Lemme go! Hell no! I'm not taking that shit again!" Brianna struggled to get free as the nurse pulled out a needle to calm her down.  
  
"Hold still." the nurse said simply.  
  
"NO!" Brianna growled as the needle was shoved into her arm.  
  
***  
  
Kayla gritted her teeth as she watched the ambulance drive away with Marla's corpse. She had to have time to think before she would tell Brianna that Marla was dead. Who could she turn to? The pain of loosing Marla was tugging away at her heart. She wasn't thinking straight. "So this is what Brianna went through when she had to tell Mel's parents she was dead..." she whispered out loud.  
  
***  
  
Squid was laying on his couch not knowing what to do. "What about Brianna?" he said out loud.  
  
"Who's Brianna?" asked his mother coming into the room.  
  
"Uh.. No one..."  
  
"Alan..." his mother said. Squid rolled his eyes and sighed annoyingly.  
  
"She's a girl I know," he answered. His mother blinked and stared at Squid. He looked confused. "What?"  
  
"Is she your girlfriend?" his mother asked curiously.  
  
"Mom!" Squid whined.  
  
***  
  
Shaily couldn't take this pain at her heart any longer. She had to talk to someone. Brianna? No. She wouldn't be able to take loosing Marla. Kayla? No. She's too hard to be able to listen. Susan? No, she's too upset as it is. Michelle? No, she's still accepting Marla's fall. "Then who can I tell?" Shaily said to herself. It hit her.  
  
Zig Zag.  
  
"Oh great," she thought to herself. "I gotta say sorry to him... Hmph. This sucks." Shaily glanced at Kayla and got her attention.  
  
"Yeah?" Kayla asked.  
  
"I'm gonna go. I gotta think for a while," Shaily answered. Kayla nodded and let Shaily leave. Shaily began to walk torward her house thinking of everything that happened between Marla and the girls.  
  
So many memories.  
  
But those memories were shattered.  
  
***  
  
Brianna screamed, kicked, cursed as the nurse began to call backup into her room. Brianna was not being a very good patient. "I told ya I don't want that shit!" she yelled. The nurses all held her down. She kicked the needle out of the nurse's hands. "I TOLD YOU! I DON'T WANT THAT SHIT!" she screamed.  
  
"Brianna you've gotta calm down!" scolded one of the four nurses in the room.  
  
"YOU SHUT THE HELL UP!" yelled Brianna.  
  
"C'mon now," another nurse said. "You're overreacting."  
  
"GAH! If you would listen you bitches!" Brianna added to her last sentence.  
  
***  
  
Shaily arrived at her home fifteen minutes later. She walked onto her driveway and to her basketball hoop. She grabbed her basketball and threw it into the hoop. Memories flashed through her mind. Marla and Shaily played a lot of basketball together and talked about their futures so much here. Sometimes Shaily cheated by having Zig Zag lift her up so she could slam dunk the ball. Marla was the better player after all. She smiled gently and threw the ball into the hoop a few more times and then stopped. Shaily walked the ball to her garage and put it into the holder. She walked to her porch and saw someone sitting in her porch swing.  
  
Zig Zag.  
  
Shaily blinked and apporached the porch ignoring Zig Zag. She was about to walk through her front door when he said, "Shaily..."  
  
She stopped. "What?" she snapped.  
  
He stood up and walked behind her. He placed his arms around her waist and his face into her blonde hair. "I'm sorry," he whispered in her ear. She blinked again and felt herself blushing. "Are you still mad?" Zig asked. A smile crept along Shaily's face and she turned around and gazed into his eyes.  
  
"No," she whispered back to him.  
  
"Good," he said as he leaned into her and kissed her lightly on the lips.  
  
***  
  
"Alan! You had a girlfriend and never told me!" Squid mother yelped.  
  
"Mom," he whined. His mother ignored his comment.  
  
"How come you never told me!"  
  
"Mom!"  
  
"I feel so left out nowadays because of this!"  
  
"Mom!"  
  
"ALAN! WAS SHE IN YOUR ROOM THAT NIGHT!"  
  
"MOM!!" he shouted getting her attention this time.  
  
"Yes Alan," she asked. Squid sighed relieved his mother had stopped talking. He looked up at his mother.  
  
"I'm sorry I never told you about Bri but I met her at camp and well you were, er, a drunk then... So I figured you wouldn't care back then. But then she got shot and what we though dead. So I never really brought her up again, until I found out she really wasn't dead. She found where I lived and yes she was the one in my room that night. She had just come to tell me she was alive. So please don't get really mad," Squid explained.  
  
"Oh," his mother said.  
  
"And she got hurt very badly and I've gotta see her at the hospital."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"So I'm gonna go now... Alright?" ASquid said as he got up from the couch and walked over to the door. "Bye Mom. I'll be back before lunch."  
  
"Right."  
  
Squid left.  
  
***  
  
"DAMMIT! LEMME GO!" screamed Brianna.  
  
"Fine," the nurses said.  
  
"Good! Now get out!" shouted Brianna pointing the way out for the nurses. They rolled their eyes and walked out of her room. Brianna sighed and laid back down. She turned on her TV set and watched a few television shows for about an hour. Until...  
  
"Hey there Bri," whispered a voice.  
  
"Squid?" she asked.  
  
He came into the room and hugged her. "How are you feeling now?" he asked her after letting her go. She cocked an eyebrow and stared at him.  
  
"Are you serious?! I'm able to stay awake now," she giggled. Squid grinned and kissed her lightly on the lips. "So whatcha come here for? And what happened to you!? You're hurt!"  
  
"I've gotta tell you something..." Squid's cheerful face faded quickly. Brianna stared.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Mad Dog knows you're alive. He jumped me and asked where you were. I didn't tell him... I couldn't..." Squid murmured. Brianna rubbed her temple. THe look on her face shocked Squid slightly. She looked as if she expected this. "What's with that look Bri?"  
  
"I knew he would find out eventually. He's smarter than he lets on. Him thinking that I was dead gave me some time to mend some ties. I knew he'd come eventually," she whispered.  
  
"WHAT!?" shouted Squid. "You KNEW!"  
  
"Well Mad Dog's a lot smarter than you think," Brianna asnwered. Squid gritted his teeth and cursed under his breath. Brianna shut her eyes and bit her lip. Her eyes flashed open and glanced at Squid. "I'm sorry but I couldn't just tell you!"  
  
"Whatever," Squid grumbled. Brianna stared.  
  
"Here I am laying in a hospital bed with switchblade slashes that I had done myself and you're going to start this NOW?!"  
  
"Dammit," he cursed.  
  
"Why are being so hostile!?"  
  
"I'M NOT BEING HOSTILE!"  
  
***  
  
"Kayla," Michelle said.  
  
"Yeah," Kayla replied.  
  
"Are we gonna stay here all day?"  
  
"OH!" Kayla gasped. "Girls c'mon let's go to Shaily's. I think she took this the hardest." The other girls nodded and followed Kayla toward Shaily's house. It took them about fifteen minutes to get there.  
  
***  
  
Zig Zag and Shaily were talking away on the porch swing. Zig swore up and down he never meant anything by what he had said before. Shaily smiled and had no clue her friends were watching when she leaned into him and kissed him again.  
  
"Oh God," muttered Michelle loudly.  
  
"Get a room," gagged Kayla. Susan had no comment but gripped her throat making gagging noises. Shaily broke her kiss with Zig Zag and glared at her friends.  
  
"OH MY GOD! WHAT ARE YOU DOIN'!?" screamed Shaily. The other girls began to giggle uncontrolablely.  
  
***  
  
Squid was still cursing and marching around Brianna's room like a lunatic. Brianna stared at him and rolled her eyes. "What the hell is wrong with you?!" Brianna demanded.  
  
"Nothing," he hissed. She heard jealousy burning in his voice.  
  
"You're jealous?!"  
  
"NO!"  
  
"YES YOU ARE!"  
  
"I'M NOT JEALOUS!" Squid shouted.  
  
"Then what's wrong?" she asked him hoping he would calm down.  
  
"I just don't want him near you..."  
  
"Alan," she said grinning a little. He finally glanced at her. She stared into his dark chocolate brown eyes with her emerald green ones. "He could never take what we have away... I promise you..."  
  
"Breaking News!" said the announcer on Brianna's TV. Squid and Brianna glanced up at the screen and watched it intently. "We have just gotten word that there was a murder eariler today downtown."  
  
"What?" chorused Squid and Brianna.  
  
"Today seventeen year old Marla Evans was murdered today by a switchblade fight that had happened earlier. THere is not much news on the murder or the fight that had happened. More details at eleven." continued the announcer. Brianna went white with horror remembering the events of her nightmare.  
  
"Marla! Dammit! NO! MARLA!"  
  
"Oh my God," Squid shouted. "She saved me though?! How'd she get-?"  
  
"Mad Dog!!!" screamed Brianna. Squid stared.  
  
"But-!"  
  
"Did she go back to the fight?"  
  
"How did you know about the fight?"  
  
"That doesn't matter!" Brianna exclaimed. "I have a way of figuring it out. Just answer my question. Did she go back to the fight?" Squid pondered the question for a few minutes and then remembered.  
  
"Yes," Squid answered getting a sick feeling in his stomach. Brianna sat up in her bed and grabbed her bathrobe. She put it on and got out of her bed and grabbed her outfit that she had worn when she cut herself. She marched into the bathroom and shut the door. Squid got a confused look on his face. He went to the bathroom door. "Bri, what are you doin'?"  
  
The door opened. Brianna was in her ripped bell bottom jeans and her red tank top. The IV and blood bag were sitting in the sink and no longer hooked up to her. She walked out of the bathroom. Squid stared in awe at her. Brianna grabbed her shoes and put them on quickly. After she had done that she looked up at Squid and got the most cockiest grin he'd ever seen. "Hey Alan," she said. "We've gotta make a quick stop ok?" He nodded.  
  
Brianna walked over ot the door and quickly shut it. "Alan could you break open that window? Please?" she asked. He nodded and knocked out her window. It feel out and landed onto the ground. Brianna ran over to the window and looked down. "Fourth floor... Hmm.. That'd be a few good feet huh?" she said talking to herself out loud. She grabbed her bed spread and tied it together and tied one end down to her bed. "Squid you go on down ok? I'll meet you outside. Thank God my room doesn't face the road or the parking lot!" she said laughing. He rolled his eyes and walked out of her room shutting the door behind him.  
  
Brianna threw the other end of her so called "rope" out the window and grabbed a hold of it. She slowly climbed out her window and shimmied down the side of the hospital building. She came to the end and jumped off the robe and fell about two feet. Squid met her there and she led him down the streets. It was almost dusk.  
  
"Where are we goin'?" Squid asked. She grinned again and winked at him.  
  
"You'll see..." she replied simply. He rolled his eyes and continued to follow Brianna. She led him into some dark alleys and then to a run down building. She knocked on it and someone opened the door. It was a dirty blonde female. "Laura I've gotta get a new switchblade. Mine got taken away..." Brianna said.  
  
"Right ok... But who's he?" Laura asked in a cold voice.  
  
"He's with me. Trust me."  
  
"Fine," Laura said. She let Squid and Brianna. Laura shut the door and got ahead of the two. "Welllll I'll get you another switchblade ok? I'll be right back," Laura said as she walked out of the room and into another. She came back five minutes later with a box. "Pick one."  
  
Brianna studied each of the four blades inside the box carefully. "Hmm," she hummed.  
  
"Do you like any?"  
  
"This one," Brianna said picking up the third blade that had the easy button to get out the blade. Laura grinned.  
  
"Charm you've got REAL taste I'll give you that," Laura scoffed. Brianna rolled her eyes.  
  
"How much?" Brianna asked.  
  
"You did enough when you helped with the job so it's on me."  
  
"Seriously?!" Brianna asked shocked. Laura nodded and motioned her to get out.  
  
"Now get," Laura grinned. "Before I change my mind." Brianna and Squid walked out of the run down building. Brianna stuffed the switchblade into her side pocket. Squid stared.  
  
"What are you going to use that for?" he asked her.  
  
"Mad Dog killed Marla right?" she asked in a logical tone.  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Well when you kill a Strip... There's only one solution," Brianna added pulling the blade out again.  
  
"Which is?"  
  
She flipped out the blade and it glimmered in the light as her eyes roved over it and then to the sky. "This is war." 


	7. Time To Choose

Author's Note: Hmmm. Well in my last author's note some of you got the idea that it was the LAST chappie.. *cough* Rain.. *cough* Shaily... *cough* I was talkin about the previous chappy to the last one. Ok? Hmmm not much to write here... lol.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Chapter Seven: Time To Choose  
  
Brianna slowly let her eyes rest back upon the glimmering blade. She flipped it and put her new switchblade into her back pocket. She placed a strand of her chesnut brown hair behind her ear. She turned to Squid and smiled mischieviously. Squid stared, "What're you thinkin'?"  
  
"Nothin'," she replied in a mock innocent tone. He watched her walked away and he soon followed. "We've gotta go to Shail's house. C'mon hurry," Brianna whispered to Squid after realizing he was following her. He nodded though she did not see it. They began to walk torward Shaily's house.  
  
***  
  
Shaily, Zig Zag and the girls were all sitting on Shaily's porch talking. Shaily had told Zig about Marla's passing, so he understood what they were talking about. Shaily and the other girls were remembering every fun time they had with Marla. They laughed, cried, sighed and carried on about Marla. It was horrible loosing her, especially since they had lost two members already.  
  
Charm and Mischief.  
  
***  
  
The sun began to sink below the horizon as Brianna and Squid reached Brianna's house. Squid watched the brillant sun dip down behind the horizon and the sky begin to turn a dark midnight blue. The stars began to pop up everywhere shining down onto the earth. The moon beamed lighting their way to Shaily's porch. They both heard the girls and Zig Zag talking.  
  
Brianna grinned, "Hey girls! Got room for two more?"  
  
The teens on the porch looked up at Brianna and the girls gasped. They got up and ran to her amazed she was out of the hospital. "Charm! What the hell are you doin' out of the hospital!?" Michelle blabed out.  
  
"Well I-" Brianna started to say but was cut off.  
  
"You should still be in the hospital Bri!" Shaily gasped.  
  
"I know but,-" Brianna tried to explain again.  
  
"You're in no condition to be out!" Kayla stated. Brianna opened her mouth but was cut off again.  
  
"You're still hurt!" Susan cried out.  
  
"GIRLS! SHUT UP!" Brianna shouted, finally so irritated by them that she yelled. "I know I should still be in the hospital but you know me... You mess with the bull, you get the horns. Yes I found out about Marla. There is something called the news. I also know it was Mad Dog... He found out I'm still alive and he's comin' afta me."  
  
"Brianna," Squid said sounding a little alarmed. "Calm down."  
  
Brianna grinned and glanced at Zig Zag. He stared at her looking hateful. Brianna's grin slowly faded. She was already regretting that job. "Hey there Zig... Uhm, hey.. I'm really," she started to say but he cut her off.  
  
"No," he muttered. Shaily glared. "You robbed my house Bri. There's no way you could ever apologize about that! How Squid can like a girl like you is beyond me! AND STOP STARING AT ME LIKE THAT SHAILY!" Brianna's eyes widened slightly in shock. Tears welling in her eyes. Squid glared at Zig Zag and quickly walked to Brianna and took her by the shoulders.  
  
"Don't cry," Squid whispered to Brianna. She shook her head.  
  
"No," she whimpered. "You really do deserve better than me. I'm sorry Alan..."  
  
"NO! Now you stop that! I desverve you just as much as anyone and-!" but she stopped him.  
  
"I might as well admit it... Mad Dog is the only person low enough to deserve me..."  
  
"STOP THAT!" Squid shouted. Brianna fought her way out of Squid's grip and ran off in the other direction. Squid tried to go after her but she shouted, "NO! DON'T YOU FOLLOW ME!" Squid shut his eyes and walked over to Zig Zag.  
  
"Good going! Now she's gonna get hurt even more thanks to you!" Squid shouted outraged. The girls sighed knowing what was going to happen. Shaily's eyes went from Zig Zag to Squid anxiously. There was going to be an arguement.  
  
"SHE STOLE FROM MY HOUSE SQUID! HOW CAN YOU SUPPORT HER LIKE THAT!?" Zig Zag shouted.  
  
"EASY! I KNOW SOMETHING ABOUT HER THAT YOU'LL NEVER UNDERSTAND YA DAMN PYRO!"  
  
"I STILL DON'T CARE!! I CAN'T TRUST A THIEF LIKE HER! OR ANY OTHER FOR THAT MATTER!" Zig soon regretted that comment because all the girls and Squid glared at him. "Oh no not again! Shaily please! You know I didn't mean that toward you!"  
  
"I know... but they don't," Shaily said simply pointing behind her to The Strips. They stared deathly at Zig Zag.  
  
"You know what I meant! You girls didn't steal from my house, Brianna DID! There's a differance!" Zig Zag protested as Kayla stood up from her seat. She pulled out her switchblade and in a flash the blade was out. Squid blinked and Shaily looked horrified. Kayla approached Zig Zag and put the end of the blade to his neck.  
  
"You're lucky you're Shaily's boyfriend... Because if you weren't you be dead. No one and I mean NO ONE messes with any of us!" Kayla hissed in a low tone. She pulled the blade from his neck and turned around. Kayla led the other girls away from Shaily's house, leaving Shaily, Squid, and Zig Zag in their wake.  
  
"Erm..." Squid said not knowing anything else to say. For once in his life he was speechless (*snicker* yeah rght..).  
  
"Ricky!" cried out Shaily. She ran to him and checked his neck. Nothing was there. "Oh my God, you're lucky she didn't kill you. You've gotta watch what you say around them... Kayla's not as merciful as Brianna was..." Shaily added. Zig looked down at her as if to say, 'No really?'  
  
"Hey," Squid said interrupting Shaily and Zig. "I think we should find Brianna. Mad Dog's still out there!" Shaily nodded and drug Zig Zag along with her. They went in search of Brianna.  
  
***  
  
"How stupid am I to think I could possibly be worth anything to Alan?! How could I actually begin to believe that?" Brianna shouted at herself. She did not realize she was saying this out loud. She paced back and forth thinking of everything she had put Alan through. He didn't need that. She was also starting to blame herself for Marla's death. Was it her fault? If she had been there to stop Mad Dog would she still be here? "Am I to blame for her death?"  
  
"I told you... Once a Scorpion... Always a Scorpion..." hissed Mad Dog's voice.  
  
"Hey Marcus..." Brianna whispered not daring to look behind her. She lifted her head from the ground to show she was somewhat listening to his words.  
  
"Look at me!" he commanded. She didn't obey. "You turn around or this little peice of shit gets it!" Brianna smirked. He was bluffing. There was no way he had something of importance to her until...  
  
"SIS! HELP ME!" her little brother, Jason cried out. Brianna's eyes widened in fear. The first time fear had reached its peak in her. She had felt it before but it never showed on her face. SHe turned and saw Blondie with Jason.  
  
"JASON!" she screamed. "Mad Dog let him go! Your fight's with me not my little brother!" Mad Dog smirked and apporached Brianna and circled around her. His eyes roved over every part of her body. She never flinched. He stopped and stared into her emerald eyes. She dared not look away from his. "It's time too choose..."  
  
***  
  
Squid, Shaily, and Zig Zag were still searching for any sign of Brianna Lyn Barlow-Synch. They hadn't found a single clue to where she had run off to. Squid was worried that Mad Dog found her. Shaily was thinking the same thing. What if she was hurt? Zig Zag hoped she was hurt. He still couldn't trust her. There was no way he could trust a thief.  
  
"LET JASON GO!" shouted a female voice from two allies away. Squid faced Shaily and nodded. That was unmistakeablely Brianna's voice.  
  
"Jason?" asked Shaily. "They've got Jason!? Oh no! They got her weak point. We gotta get there before they truly destroy her." Squid led the so called rescue crew to get Brianna.  
  
***  
  
"Come now Brianna... D'you actually think I'd want you dead? Of course not. That would be the last thing I'd do. I just thought you might need a little modivation to come back to the Scorpions." Mad Dog explained.  
  
Brianna stared into his icy blue eyes. "You're sick you know that!" she shouted in disgust.  
  
"I prefer a genius because it got you out of hiding didn't it?"  
  
"Bastard!" Mad Dog pulled out a gun and aimed it at Jason's forehead.  
  
"C'mon sweetheart... Tell me your answer..." he hissed his finger itching to pull the triger. Brianna panicked.  
  
"BRI!" screeched Shaily's voice. It was music to Brianna's ears even though usually it was not the most beautiful sounding thing to Brianna. Shaily shoved Mad Dog aside and he dropped his gun. It went into a small space between to boxes and a wall. Shaily pulled out a cell phone and quickly dialed a number. "KAYLA WE GOT A CODE 543! BRING AS MANY PEOPLE AS YOU CAN!" shouted Shaily into the phone an dtunring it off quickly after.  
  
***  
  
Kayla hung up her phone and stared at everyone in the room. "We got a Code 543! Bring the guys!" Kayla intstructed. The girls there nodded and ran out the door. About five minutes later they appeared outside Kayla's house with their own boyfriends. The only boys that weren't there were Armpit and X-Ray. Kayla called them up and had her boyfriend Caveman wait outside wit the others. When Kayla got outside X-Ray and Armpit joined the group. THey headed to the fight.  
  
***  
  
"Oh great..." hissed Mad Dog. "Your cavarley has arrived."  
  
"Oh you shut up!" growled Brianna.  
  
Mad Dog slapped Shaily off of him and stood up to charge at Brianna. He lifted his arm, forming a fist. She got ready to take the blow. It was about to strike her when Squid jumped in front of her and grabbed his fist. He threw Mad Dog onto the ground and Brianna gasped. "ALAN!" she screamed.  
  
"YOU AGAIN!?" hollared Mad Dog kicking Squid in the legs knocking him over.  
  
"Damn!" Squid cursed. Soon the two were in a raging fist fight. Brianna was screaming for Alan, while she ran to Shaily and helped her back to her feet. Shaily charged at Blondie.  
  
"Give Jason to us." commanded Shaily. "Or I'll beat your ass like I did before..." Blondie didn't even think before she backed away from Jason. Jason ran to his sister and hugged her legs tightly.  
  
"Shail take Jason back to your house ok?" asked Brianna glaring at the approaching Scorpions that were waiting in the wings. Shaily nodded and obeyed. She led Jason back to her home. "Well well well... Lookie at what we got here..." Brianna muttered cockily.  
  
Mad Dog finally got a good grip on Squid. Mad Dog swung his elbow in Squid face knocking Squid backward onto the floor. Brianna noticed and she let her guard drop completely. She ran to Squid lifting his head up. "Oh shit," he mumbled. "THat hurt..."  
  
"Quiet!" growled Brianna wiping the blood from his face. Zig Zag bent over and looked up from Squid to Brianna.  
  
"What happened?" Zig asked.  
  
"You idiot! I got elbowed! Dumbass," yelled Squid frustrated by Zig's question. "You ask another stupid question I'll-!"  
  
"BOTH OF YOU SHUT YOUR TRAPS!" bellowed Brianna. This silenced them both. "Zig stay with Alan. I'll take care of Mad Dog."  
  
"Yousure will won't you Bri?" asked Mad Dog grinning insanely. Brianna noted the gun that had found its way back to his hand. She took a step backward. "Charm you stay still.. I'll finish these two first. Starting with you since the other moron can't go anywhere, anytime soon." Mad Dog muttered pointing the gun at Zig Zag. Brianna looked on in horror.  
  
***  
  
Shaily had Jason in her hands when she ran into the girls being led by Kayla. "Where the hell are you goin' Shai- JASON?!" shouted Kayla shocked.  
  
"I've gotta take Jason back to my house..." panted Shaily. Kayla glanced at X-Ray.  
  
"X, take Jason back to Shail's house ok?" commanded Kayla. X-Ray nodded and had Jason follow him to Shaily's house. Kayla nodded in the direction of where the fight was heating up. THey all began to run. If Brianna died truly this time... Kayla couldn't live with herself knowing she could've stopped it. "HURRY UP! C'MON!" shouted Kayla making everyone run faster. By the time they got to the fight a gun was being pointed at Zig Zag.  
  
"RICKY!" cried out Shaily.  
  
"Dammit!" Michelle cursed.  
  
"WHat're we gonna do?" asked Susan.  
  
"I'm not sure..." mumbled Kayla.  
  
Mad Dog grinned at the other girls and guys that had come joined the fight. "It's good to see all of Bri's friends are here to see her betray you," he said coolly. Brianna glared deathly at Mad Dog. "Now as for you..." Mad Dog said returning his tare upon Zig Zag's face. "It's time to die..." He pulled the trigger.  
  
"NO!" screeched Shaily and Brianna. Kayla and Susan held Shaily back but Brianna jumped in front of Zig Zag knocking him out of the way.  
  
BANG!  
  
"BRIANNA!" everyone except the Scorpions shouted.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Author's Note: Oooooh! How's that? Pretty good huh? CLIFFHANGER! lol! I betcha loved that huh Rain lol. You said you might come after me if I had another cliffhanger... ^^;;; *random ppl start apporaching her with pitchforks and tomatoes* AAHHH!!!!!! *runs* I"LL UPDATE SOON!!!! 


	8. Fate's Cold Heart

Author's Note: Hey everyone sorry about the delay! AH! *people with pitchforks continue to scare me* AHHH!! Well anyway I'm not really going to say anything.. *hugs Squid*  
  
Squid: WILL YOU PLEASE LEAVE ME ALONE!  
  
Me: NO! I PAID GOOD MONEY! Hmph! *magnet in the background counting his money* ^^;;;;  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Chapter Eight: Fate's Cold Heart  
  
A gunshoot.  
  
"BRIANNA!" shouted Squid from the ground. He struggled to his feet and ran to Brianna, but she was not longer standing in the spot where she had been.  
  
"YOU BITCH!" shouted Mad Dog sputtering. Everyone looked at him and saw that Brianna had pulled out her switchblade and stabbed him. She smirked and looked up at the sky. She was finally free of Mad Dog. He fell to the ground and held his stomach. She yanked out her blade and wiped the blood quickly off with his shirt. "How... could you!" he sputtered gasping for air. Brianna kicked him.  
  
"Now who's the one laughing?" she asked him. He cowarded. "Exactly," she said, woozily. She didn't realize how fast she was loosing blood. He had shot her but, didn't kill her. She watched Mad Dog in his last moments. He took another breath and finally faded. Blood still flowed voilently out of the stab mark and pooled around him. "I did it," Brianna whispered. She collasped.  
  
Squid quickly ran up to her and flipped her onto her back and lifted her head. "Damn!" he cursed. He looked down at her stomach. It was stained.  
  
Blood.  
  
Mad Dog did get his chance to shoot her and suceeded. Squid looked up at everyone. "We've gotta get to the hospital!" he shouted. Kayla grabbed Shaily's cell phone and quickly dialed 911. Squid never left her side as they waited for the paramedics.  
  
***  
  
Brianna was dreaming as the others waited for the ambulance. She felt as if she was floating. "Oh shit," she moaned. "This is weird." She couldn't feel any pain, but she felt cold. She wished Alan was with her. She was so cold. "Alan..." she whispered.  
  
"Brianna," said a familar voice.  
  
"Mel?!" exclaimed Brianna. The darkness around her lifted and she could Mel. "Holy shit! I'm dead!"  
  
"No you're not," replied Mel with her soft, caring voice. "I see you still curse."  
  
"I see you don't."  
  
"Brianna," Mel began. "You're not dead. I promise you that. People still need you. You're not dieing either. I just wanted to tell you... Thanks."  
  
"For what!? It was my fault you died!" growled Brianna.  
  
"No. It wasn't your fault. It was my time to go. But you took care of the one person that could destroy the Scorpions. THeir leader. I'll never have to haunt you anymore. I'm sorry but God wanted you to remember who was the person who was behind my murder was. That's why you had so many flashbacks and nightmares of my death. You'll no longer have to have them."  
  
"What?!" gapped Brianna feeling confused. Mel smiled with her raven black hair gently falling on her shoulders. Her gray eyes seemed to be filling up with tears. Mel ran to Brianna and hugged her tightly. Brianna felt tears in her own eyes begin to silently fall down her cheek.  
  
"I'll be waiting," whispered Mel gently.  
  
"I know. Marla too." Brianna said grinning as their embrace broke. "Mel remember you were the best one out of all my friends. You weren't the murderous one. You were different. The rest of us'll go to hell."  
  
"No you won't. You especially." Brianna looked skeptical. "Bri, you live as long as you have something to live for. D'you know what those things are?"  
  
"Nope." was Brianna's only answer. Mel stared at her as if Brianna was an idiot, which of course she was at some points.  
  
"Your friends are third reason you live. Jason is the second reason you still live," Mel started grinned. Brianna cocked an eyebrow.  
  
"WHat's the number one reason I'm till alive?" Brianna asked, looking quite cocky, awaiting Mel's answer.  
  
"Alan," Mel whispered. Brianna felt her jaw drop slightly. "You have to go back now. I'm sorry... I'll be waiting." Brianna felt more tears flood down her face. The darkness engulfed her once again.  
  
***  
  
Squid stared down at Brianna's almost chalky white face. "Please God don't take her yet," he said quietly. "Where the hell are those paramedics?!" Michelle ran to the end of the alley and looked around. She jumped. She motioned for something to come to their location. Squid knew it was the paramedics, and soon enough it was.  
  
"Oh no! Not her again!" moaned one of the paramedics. The other one glared and they picked Brianna's limp body and placed her onto the strecher. Squid quickly stood up and watched them quickly put her into the ambulance. Squid opened his mouth but then stopped. They weren't going to let him come.  
  
"ALAN!" screamed Brianna from the ambulance. Everyone stared shocked at her sudden scream. Squid's eyes widened.  
  
"Which one's Alan?" asked the paramedics. Squid stepped forward and the paramedic led him into the ambulance. "She wants you to come." Squid looked down at Brianna who was hooked up to monitors and had an oxygen mask over her face. "D'you know what happened?"  
  
"She got shot," Squid answered, looking down at Brianna's quiet face. Her eyes were shut. She wasn't moving. Had she lost that much blood in such a short time? Probably. The paramedics were quickly moving around her. She was barely breathing and her heart rate was fading. Squid blinked back the first tears that had ever came to his eyes since her first death. She couldn't die for real this time. 'God don't let her die yet,' Squid said to himself.  
  
"Alan..." she whispered.  
  
"Bri?" Squid asked. Her eyes fluttered open and she smiled at him when she saw him.  
  
"Alan..." she said again contently. Her eyes shut and Squid grabbed one of her hands. He wasn't letting anyone take her from him. It was selfish, yes, but it wasn't his fault. He loved her too much to let her die. Memories flashed through his mind...  
  
When they first met.  
  
First kiss.  
  
All the firsts between them flashed through his mind. He wasn't loosing her again. No! He wasn't. He didn't care if he went to hell for trying to keep her. He was still pleaing for GOd not to take her than to realize they were already at ythe hospital. The ambulance stopped and opened the back door and carried her into the hospital. She was rished in. Squid stayed inside for some time thinking of everything Brianna and he had been through. No one had touched him like this... Was this truly the end?  
  
"Dammit! DON'T TAKE HER YET!" Squid shouted as he climbed out of the ambulance. His eyes were feeling watery. He quickly wiped away his tears when he noticed his friends coming in Kayla's car. He walked into the hospital and sat in the waiting room outside the ER. His hands covered his face. His vison blurred with tears. He was too busy contemplating to care the others had come into the hospital.  
  
"Hey Squid she's going to be fine," whispered Kayla. "Don't start crying." Kayla had tears welling in her eyes. She blinked them back. She had to be strong. She had too.  
  
"I'm not crying," he protested (here it comes.. all us squid fans knows what he says). "I have allergies!" Kayla shrugged and walked over to Caveman. She finally, after being the strongest one in the gang, broke down. Caveman looked taken aback as she cried into his shoulder.  
  
Shaily was sitting on the couch rocking back and forth. Tears flooding down her face. Her face was white and she looked a little on the insane side. She had finally cracked. Zig finally growing a little frightened at Shaily's reaction, put his arm around her and she instantly cried. Michelle was pacing back and forth with Twitch close behind her. She was muttering to herself. Twitch grabbed her by the waist finally stopping her. Michelle fell to her hands and knees and pounded the ground with her fist. Susan was staring out the window of the waiting room. She was shaking she was so nervous. Magnet was trying to make her crack a smile but she cried too hard to care.  
  
"BRIANNA!" shouted Squid making everyone jump. He stood up and violently kicked the chair he had been sitting on over. "GOD DAMMIT! DON'T TAKE HER YET!" he yelled violently. He went over to a wall and smashed his fist againest it. He rested his head againest it.  
  
"Whoa, dawg, calm down," Armpit said trying to calm Squid down. Squid slid down the wall not daring lifting his head from the wall. He sat on the ground and covered his face again. Everyone in the waiting room waited for the news on Brianna.  
  
It had been two hours since Brianna had been rushed into the hospital. A nurse came out and looked around. "Anyone here with Brianna Lyn Barlow-Synch?" she asked looking at her clipboard. Everyone apporached. "All of you?" THey nodded. "We got the bullet out of her side. She's lost more blood than first expected. We need some donars. She's still unconsious at the moment due to her blood loss. Do any of you have the same blood type as her?"  
  
"Uhm," Squid said. He shrugged. "I don't even know what I am..."  
  
"What's her type?" Susan asked jabbing Squid in the stomach.   
  
"Ow," he whined.  
  
"O negative," the nurse said. "It's not very common." Zig Zag stepped forward. Shaily gapped at him.  
  
"What're you doing?!" Shaily asked him. He silenced her and looked up at the nurse.  
  
"I'll do it," he said.  
  
"WHAT!?" Shaily shouted.  
  
"We share the same blood type, Shail. It's the least I can do for her. I owe her my life," Zig said as he followed the nurse to donate his own blood to Brianna.  
  
***Three days later***  
  
Squid was asleep in Brianna's hospital room. He was sitting in the chair next to her bed with his head againest the wall asleep soundly. Brianna stirred for the first time in three days. Her eyes fluttered open and her vision seemed blurry at first until her eyes adjusted. She moved her head and saw Squid sleeping. She grinned. She tried to sit up in her bed but it hurt too much.  
  
"Squid!" she said actually using his nickname. He didn't get up. "ALAN!" she shouted hoarsly. His eyes shot open and he looked down at Brianna.  
  
"BRIANNA!" he cried out. "You're alive!"  
  
"I know but God I'm in pain..." she groaned. Squid smirked and kissed her quickly. "What happened?"  
  
"Well you went unconsious after you killed Mad Dog. You lost a lot of blood. The nurse asked if any of us have the same blood type as you. You're O negative if wanted to know. Well none of us were matches," Squid started to explain.  
  
"But who donated blood to me?" Briann asked, interupting Squid.  
  
"I was getting to that. It was-," Squid said again intrupted yet again but this time by Shaily and Zig Zag.  
  
"Brianna!" cried out Shaily. "You're alright."  
  
"I told you I had the same blood type as her," Zig Zag grumbled. Shaily glared at him. "What?"  
  
"Hey wait a minute! YOU DONATED BLOOD TO ME?!" Brianna gasped. Zig nodded. "But why? I htought you couldn't trust a THIEF like me." Zig looked embarrassed and shuffled his feet.  
  
"I owed it to you," he muttered. "You saved my life."  
  
Brianna smiled and winked. "No hard feelings! It's ok! but now I know why I've gotten a feleing that I'm being watched..." Brianna joked.  
  
"Haha..." Zig muttered darkly. Squid, Shaily, and Brianna all laughed and soon Zig Zag joined in on the laughter too. Brianna felt woozy.  
  
"Whoa... I gotta stop.. Damn those blood infusions!" Brianna said rubbing her head.  
  
"Go back to sleep," Squid suggested.  
  
"But-!" protested Brianna.  
  
"Shh," Squid said kissing her. "I'll be here when you wake up." Brianna smiled and shut her eyes. She went into deep sleep. "Hey you guys uhm, I'm gonna stay with her ok?" Squid said. Zig and Shaily nodded and walke dout of the room leaving Squid and Brianna alone. Squid smiled at Brianna. "You don't know how upset I got Bri," he said to her sleeping body. "You gave us a huge scare."  
  
***  
  
Shaily and Zig Zag pulled into Shaily's driveway. Shaily had Brianna's aunt Reese stay at her house while they waited for Brianna to come home. Jason was also staying there. Shaily hoped out of Zig's car and ran inside her house leaving Zig in her wake. "SHE'S OK GUYS! SHE'S OK!" Shaily screeched.  
  
"She is?!" the girls chorused. Shaily nodded.  
  
"She was talking to Squid when we got there, but it didn't last long. THe blood infusion made her very tired. So she fell back asleep," Shaily explained.  
  
"Where's Squid?" asked Caveman.  
  
"He wanted to stay behind with her. He promised her that he'd be there when she got back up." Shaily answered as she sat down on her couch. Zig had finally come into the house and sat down next to her.  
  
"Oh. Hey has anyone seen Hector?" asked Caveman. Everyone except Kayla shook their heads.  
  
"Well uh-I did," stuttered Kayla.  
  
"You have?"  
  
"Yeah, two days ago I told him about Marla. I never saw him so upset," Kayla whispered. "I also told Marla's parents. THey broke down in tears and went to the hospital to pick up her body. They're going to fly to New Orleans and have the funeral there since Marla wants to be burried there with Mel. They're not sure when they're going to have the funeral but they'd let us know." Kayla explained.  
  
"Hopefully Charm'll be better by then," Michelle mumbled. Michelle had to get up and drag Twitch from the window. He was staring madly at Zig's car. "Calm down!" she hissed. "We're havin' a serious conversation!!"  
  
"Oh right of course!" Twitch said anxiously. Everyone rolled their eyes.  
  
"I'm so happy sissy's ok!" Jason cooed in his young innocent voice.  
  
"Yes then we can take her back to New Orleans," Reese said as she sat in a chair. Everyone stared at her.  
  
"What?! You can't take her back to New Orleans! Squid'll have a nervous breakdown!" X-Ray shouted.  
  
"It'll hurt her even more!" protested Shaily looking angerly at Reese. "You can't take her from him! It's impossible!"  
  
"She's coming back to New Orleans with us!" Reese said firmly silencing Shaily and the others.  
  
***Four Days Later***  
  
Brianna was finally well enough to have more visitors and not fall asleep during the visits. Squid never left her side. Brianna waited anxiously for Reese and Jason. THey finally came to visit her after all hr friends left. Squid was still with her.  
  
"REESE! JASON!" cried out Brianna hugging them tightly. "Shail told me that you came here Reese!" Reese nodded and smiled gently at Brianna.  
  
"Bri," her aunt said. "I've gotta tell you something."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Well when you're out of this hospital... We're taking you back to New Orleans."  
  
"NO!" screamed Brianna. She felt her heart fall to her feet. She got sick. Squid looked shocked. He wasn't going to let Reese take Brianna.  
  
"You can't do that!" Squid shouted.  
  
"I'm her only family left," Her aunt said firmly. Brianna felt tears.  
  
"I'm not going!"  
  
"You'll leave Jason behind." Brianna stared coldly at Reese. How could her own aunt use herlittle brother againest her. Brianna bit her lip and sighed.  
  
"Alright... Don't worry... I'll go," whispered Brianna.  
  
"But Brianna!" whimpered Squid.  
  
"Shh," Brianna whispered. "She's right.. Jason is omportant to me. I have to leave.. Even if I hate it.."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Author's Note: How was that? Was it sad? Was it? Didya like it? WHO THINKS BRIANNA'S GONNA LEAVE? RAISE YOUR HAND! *ppl raise their hands* WHO DISAGREES? *people raise hands* Who hates those darn cliffhangers? I know Rain does.. lol! Oh yea and so does Kayla! ^_~ lol! Well gtg find Squid again.. MAGNET! WHERE'D YOU GO!? 


	9. Partners in Crime

Author's Note: Hey everyone! How's it going? Well let's see I'm gonna write the ninth  
  
chapter! ^^ And we're nowhere near finished yet! Hahaha! *bursts out singing "Unwell"  
  
by Matchbox 20* What? Well here's the next chapter. I know you hate cliffhangers Rain!  
  
And this is to my buddy Shaily: I DID NOT STEAL THOSE AWARDS! AND WE'RE NOT  
  
PUTTING THOSE STUPID WHITE COATS INTO THE STORY GAH! O and BTW, Rain I'm  
  
pretty sure she's not going to eat a kit kat.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Chapter Nine: Partners in Crime  
  
It was the middle of the night. Brianna was in the hospital and crying into her pillow. She  
  
didn't want to leave. She loved Alan. How could her aunt do this to her? It was horrible the  
  
way her life was turning out. First she gets into drugs, almost kills herself, runs from the  
  
hospital, gets shot, and now she's got to leave Alan behind her?! This was ridiculous! She  
  
couldn't leave Alan like that!  
  
"Brianna?" asked a nurse that Brianna trusted the most.  
  
"What?" snapped Brianna. the nurse walked in and sat down next to Brianna's bed. Squid  
  
had left due to the fact his mother made him. Usually he'd be next to her but he had to go  
  
home this night.  
  
"What's wrong?" asked the nurse.  
  
"My aunt," Brianna replied. She lifted up from her pillow and glanced at the nurse. "I'm not  
  
going back with her..."  
  
"But she's your family."  
  
"I don't care."  
  
"What about Jason?"  
  
"He's the only reason that I agreed with her. Alan's really hurt. I know he is." Brianna  
  
explained.  
  
***  
  
"Dammit!" cursed Squid.  
  
"Alan!" shrieked his mother. "Don't curse."  
  
"Sorry," he managed to say. He walked up the stairs and went into his room. He slammed  
  
the door behind him. His mother looked dumbstruck. What was wrong with him?  
  
Squid was sitting on his bed. He went over to his nightstand and dug throughout the  
  
drawer. "Where is it?" he growled, trying his best not to curse again. He was looking for  
  
something. Finally after looking for five minutes he found what he was looking for. He  
  
pulled out a picture in a frame. He brought it level to his face and ran his fingers down the  
  
picture. "Brianna," he whispered. It was the picture she had given him a year ago. "Don't  
  
leave me. Please."  
  
***  
  
Shaily hung up her phone. She looked at everyone. "That was Reese on her cell phone.  
  
Brianna's gonna leave!" Shaily said in a monotone. She was so shocked she couldn't even  
  
put her voice in a tone.  
  
"BRIANNA'S GOING BACK!?" shouted Kayla in outrage.  
  
"She can't leave!" Susan hollered.  
  
"Reese is retarded! Brianna CAN'T LEAVE! What about her drug addiction!? What is she  
  
going to do with that?!" Michelle protested. Shaily shrugged as she sat down on the couch.  
  
"Oh my God!" Michelle added. What was Reese going to do once she found out about  
  
Brianna's drug addiction.  
  
***  
  
"Hey Karen," asked Brianna. "Can I tell you something?"  
  
"Sure," the nurse named Karen said. Brianna bit her lip searching for the words to tell  
  
Karen. "Take your time."  
  
"I-I have a d-drug addiction..." Brianna stuttered. "I gotta stop."  
  
"What drug?"  
  
"Marijuana," Brianna answered. "Nothing else. I don't know what to do. Last year I got  
  
mixed with the wrong group of people and got hooked. I need to stop."  
  
"There are groups you can go to," suggested Karen. Brianna sighed annoyingly and then  
  
rolled her eyes.  
  
"Not those Drugies Anymous crap!" Brianna growled.  
  
"They can help you. In fact you should check out the youth group. They're all meeting  
  
tomorrow at four o'clock and since your well enough to walk.. You should go," said Karen.  
  
Briana shrugged.  
  
"Whatever," Brianna replied. "I guess I'll go."  
  
"That's good. You better go to sleep now Brianna. You need your rest," Karen said, getting  
  
up from the chair and leaving the room. Brianna wiped the tears from her face. She pulled  
  
her blankets to her neck and placed her head back down onto her pillow. She shut her  
  
eyes and gently fell asleep.  
  
***The next Day***  
  
Squid arrived at the hospital and walked to Brianna's room. He opened her door and she  
  
wasn't in there. He walked inside and looked quickly around the room. "Where the hell is  
  
she!" he shouted.  
  
"Oh hey there Squid!" said Shaily's voice. Squid looked over at Shaily who was sitting in  
  
his usual spot. "You lookin' for Charm?" she asked him. Squid nodded. "Oh the nurse said  
  
she'd be back in about an hour. She's at some seminar."  
  
"Oh," Squid said relieved she didn't leave.  
  
"Did Brianna tell you that she's going back home?" Shaily asked, anxiously.  
  
"I was here when her damn aunt told her," scowled Squid.  
  
***  
  
Brianna was sitting in a room with a bunch of, to what thought, idiots. They were all  
  
talking about their lives and how they had gotten into drugs. "Brianna," said the woman in  
  
charge of it. "Would you like to go next?" Brianna stood up from her chair rolling her eyes.  
  
"Oh whatever," said Brianna. "I'm Brianna Lyn Barlow-Synch. I'm a drug addict. End of  
  
story." Brianna sat down.  
  
"I'm sensing some hositility from you Brianna," the woman said. "Now please tell us your  
  
story."  
  
"Fine!" shouted Brianna standing up again. "My story's like this: My father is a bastard, my  
  
mother was murdered by him, my older brother was too murdered by a street gang, my  
  
older sister ran off on our family. I was left to take care of my little brother and mom  
  
before she was killed. I got caught with my street gang and we were sent to Camp Green  
  
Lake. Well the stuff that goes on during that time doesn't matter. Well I ran away and got  
  
mixed with the wrong crowd and got into drugs. So there you go! My wonderous life!"  
  
"Did you seem to be in control when you took the drugs?" asked a teenaged girl.  
  
Brianna glanced down at her. "Yes," she answered. "I did, after my mother died I became  
  
really suicidal. And eveyr waking moment I wasn't high I was also suidcidal. When I got  
  
high it made me feel in control of my life."  
  
"Same with me," said the teen girl. "Except my life was a little different from yours."  
  
"Really?" Brianna said sitting next to the girl. She had red hair and dark stone eyes. "Oh  
  
my God! Sherri?! Is that you?!"  
  
"Hey there Brianna," said Sherri.  
  
"Where's Matt?"  
  
"He got arrested for raping..."  
  
"What?! Who?!" Sherri glanced up at Brianna and Brianna saw tears fall down her face.  
  
"He didn't..." hissed Brianna. "You?!" Sherri nodded and wiped the tears from her cheek.  
  
"That asshole!" Brianna shouted. "It's alright. You aren't the only one who's been raped."  
  
"What?" asked Sherri.  
  
"My ex-boyfriend, Mad Dog, raped me when we were high school, because I left him. No  
  
one believed a little JD like me so he got away with it."  
  
"Which may explain you behavior," said the woman in charge of the group.  
  
"What?!"  
  
"You had a terrible childhood and then were raped by someone you rejected. This shows  
  
why you had suicidal streak. The drugs were the thing that made you feel in control of  
  
your life. So-!" but the woman was cut off by a bell. "Oh darn. Time's up everyone. I'll  
  
hopefully see you all next week! Buh bye!" Brianna rolled her eyes again and walked back  
  
to her room.  
  
"Hey Bri! Wait up!" Sherri called out. Brianna stopped. "Where ya goin'?"  
  
"My room," replied Brianna.  
  
"You live in the hospital?" questioned Sherri.  
  
"Oh yeah I enjoy all the pain going on..." Brianna said darkly. "Idiot, I got shot. I've been  
  
here for a while. I should be leaving pretty soon thank God. Here we are- ALAN!" Brianna  
  
ran to Squid and hugged him tightly.  
  
"Who's he?" asked Sherri.  
  
"My boyfriend, Alan," replied Brianna kissing him lightly on the cheek. Sherri nodded and  
  
sat down. "Alan, Shaily, this is my friend Sherri. I met her last year. She was here for the  
  
drug seminar like me, except I have to stay too." Shaily eyed Sherri suspisiously. Squid  
  
shrugged and took his chair by Brianna's bed back. Brianna sat on her bed and began to  
  
talk with Squid.  
  
"So you helped get her into drugs?" asked Shaily to Sherri.  
  
"I'm not proud of it." Sherri answered.  
  
"Whatever," SHaily scowled.  
  
"BRIANNA! YOU CAN'T LEAVE!" shouted Squid. Shaily and Sherri jumped.  
  
"I have to," Brianna whispered. "Jason needs me."  
  
"SO YOU'RE GOING TO LEAVE ME HERE BECAUSE OF JASON!? YOU DON'T CARE DO  
  
YOU?!"  
  
"I never said that I didn't care, Alan."  
  
"THEN WHY THE HELL ARE YOU LEAVING?!"  
  
"They're my only family left Alan. Where d'you expect me to live around here? Your house.  
  
I'm sure you mother would be thrilled to house your girlfriend," Brianna added darkly.  
  
"I'm not letting you leave!" protested Squid. He refused to believe she was leaving him  
  
behind. "You can't leave me here! Not after everything we've been through! Dammit!"  
  
"Alan," she whispered. "I'm sorry."  
  
"SORRY DOESN'T CUT IT!"  
  
"Alan-!"  
  
"NO! SHUT UP!" Squid shouted running out of the hospital room and sitting on the floor in  
  
the hallway. Brianna shut her eyes and walked out of her room to join Squid. "Why are you  
  
leaving me like this!" he proclaimed.  
  
"Alan, I love you and my brother to death, but my brother.. I gotta look out for him." she  
  
explained to Squid. She sat down next to him and hugged him. "I'm sorry," she whispered.  
  
"I'm so sorry Alan!" She started to cry. Squid looked taken aback and soon calmed down.  
  
"It's ok. I understand," he whispered.  
  
"I'm so stupid Alan! I feel like I'm betraying you!"  
  
"Quiet! You're not! It's ok. Just no more tears," he said calmly.  
  
***Two Days Later***  
  
Brianna was finally out of the hospital. She had been staying with Shaily for the past two  
  
days. Brianna was thankful that her aunt had brought her cloths. She finally got to change  
  
out of the ripped cloths she had been wearing. Squid was dreading the day Brianna would  
  
leave. He decided to push those thoughts from his mind and spend as much time as he  
  
could with her.  
  
Squid came to Shaily's house and into the guest room where Brianna was staying. He  
  
found her packing. 'Oh no,' he thought. He came up behind her and put his arms around  
  
her waist. It made her jump until she noticed it was just him. She smiled and continued to  
  
put her items into her suitcase. "Whaddya doin'?" he asked her.  
  
"Packing. We're leaving tomorrow, Alan." she answered. Squid held tighter to her. "Ouch!  
  
Alan! Not that hard! Please."  
  
"Oh sorry!" he pleaded as he loosened his grip on her waist. "I gonna miss you. You  
  
promise you'll email me right?"  
  
"Yes. I promise." she whispered. "Hey Alan?"  
  
"Yeah," he said.  
  
"Would you come to the airport with us. Please? The girls are going to see me off but I  
  
especially want you to come," she whimpered. Squid smiled and held her a little tighter  
  
but making sure he wasn't hurting her.  
  
"Sure," he said smiling. "I will." She turned to face him. She kissed him lightly on the lips.  
  
"Thanks," she cried, feeling her tears return.  
  
"No problem."  
  
***The Next Day***  
  
Brianna, the girls, Squid, Reese, and Jason all arrived at the airport. Brianna grabbed her  
  
suitcase and stayed close to Squid. It hurt her to leave him like this. They all walked to the  
  
terminal and Brianna set her suitcase down. "I'm sorry Alan! I really am." she whispered  
  
tearfully.  
  
"Hush!" Squid scolded. "Just promise to email me every day."  
  
"I will."  
  
"Good."  
  
"Flight 4356 will be departing in ten minutes!" said the lady at the stand by their terminal.  
  
Brianna had tears falling soundly down her face as she bid everyone of her best friends  
  
good bye. She was leaving her best friends behind. She turned to Squid. She hugged him  
  
tightly.  
  
"Don't forget me Alan," she told him.  
  
"I won't." he promised.  
  
"I love you," she cried.  
  
"Me too," Squid replied.  
  
"Flight 4356 is now boarding!" said the lady. Brianna stared into Squid's eyes and hugged  
  
him. He gently pushed her. He leaned into her andpressed his lips to hers one last time.  
  
She fell into their final kiss.  
  
"Brianna! C'mon!" shouted Reese. Brianna pulled away and looked at Squid's face one last  
  
time. She turned around and headed to the terminal. She handed the ticket to the lady  
  
and then walked into the terminal. Squid turned around and started walking toward the  
  
window. He placed his hand on it and gazed at the plane that would take Brianna from  
  
him. She was going to leave him forever.  
  
"LAST CALL FOR FLIGHT 4356!"  
  
Squid's heart wrenched as he heard those words spoken.  
  
**One the Plane**  
  
Brianna sat down next to her little brother. "Bri, you don't have to leave y'know. Reese can  
  
take care of me." Jason. Brianna blinked.  
  
"What?" she asked dumbstruck.  
  
"Alan loves you and Reese has no right to use me againest you," Jason added. "You don't  
  
have to. You could leave right now. I won't mind. Go on Bri!" Brianna hugged Jason and  
  
kissed him lightly on the forehead.  
  
"You be a good boy for me right?" He nodded. "Good. I'll miss you. Email me," she added.  
  
He grinned. Brianna stood up and headed to the exit. She ran into her aunt.  
  
"Where are you going?" Reese asked.  
  
"Off this damn plane!" shouted Brianna pushing Reese out of her way to get off the plane.  
  
"BRIANNA LYN BARLOW-SYNCH! YOU GET BACK HERE RIGHT NOW!"  
  
"You can't stop her Reese," said Jason. They watched Brianna fight her way off the plane.  
  
Brianna grabbed her suitcase and walked past everyone to get off the plane.  
  
**Airport**  
  
Squid and the girls had started walking away from the terminal. Squid couldn't believe she  
  
was actually leaving. Neither could the girls. Now they truly lost Charm. Squid stared at  
  
the ground and sighed as he walked through the airport.  
  
"Miss! You can't exit this plane! I'm sorry but you can't!" said the lady. Squid sighed.  
  
"Dammit! I'm gettin' off!" shouted a female voice. Squid's head snapped up. "ALAN!" cried  
  
out Brianna voice. Squid turned around and saw Brianna. She had fought her way off the  
  
plane and she dropped her suitcase running toward him and the girls. She threw her arms  
  
around him.  
  
"Brianna!" he exclaimed.  
  
"Alan! I couldn't do it!" she cried, tearfully. "Jason told me to stay here. I was stupid to  
  
think I could actually leave you!" Squid smiled and returned the hug.  
  
"It's ok," he whispered to her. "It's ok. Stop crying."  
  
"Alan... Let's go..."  
  
"Gladly. But shouldn't you get your suitcase?" Brianna began to laugh and grabbed her  
  
suitcase Squid and Brianna went joined the girls. The girls had went ahead to leave them  
  
alone. Brianna got into Squid's car and threw her suitcase into the backseat.  
  
"I guess I'll have to live with Shaily," Brianna sighed.  
  
"We'll see," Squid said slyly.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Nevermind," Squid said quickly as they drove back to his neighborhood. It took them an  
  
hour to get back. Squid pulled into his driveway and glanced at Brianna. She climbed out  
  
of his car and was about to grab her suitcase and go to Shaily's house. "No! Don't go yet!"  
  
"Alan," she said. "You'll see me in like five minutes!"  
  
"I know but still..."  
  
"What? Are you afraid I'll get hurt on my way to Shail's house?"  
  
"Oh funny!" Squid said darkly. Brianna came over to his side of the car and kissed him.  
  
"I know..." she giggled.  
  
"Oh God," said Michelle voice. "Partners in crime. That's what we'll call'em!"  
  
"Michelle!" shouted Shaily.  
  
"They're too lovey dovey for me," Kayla gagged.  
  
"Kayla!" Shaily screeched.  
  
"Oh how cute!" mocked Susan.  
  
"SUSAN!" Shaily yelled.  
  
"DON'T THINK I CAN'T HEAR YOU GIRLS!" shouted Brianna chasing after them. Squid  
  
grinned.  
  
***  
  
"That's right Brianna... Enjoy your happiness while you can..." hissed a blonde boy in the  
  
shadows where no one could see him. "I'll be coming for you."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Author's Note: *sniffles* That was a little corny because the plane thing is like one of  
  
those cheep romantic movies.. Sheesh... But I hope you liked it! R+R! Thanx!  
  
Squid: OH MY GOD! WILL YOU STOP STALKING ME!  
  
Me: I told you I prefer the words: "Following a hottie without permission"  
  
Squid: I'm leaving.  
  
Me: CAN I COME! *runs after him* 


	10. Normal Life Not Likely

Author's Note: Hum dee dum.. Rain, Bri might eat a kit kat bar in this chapter lol. This chapter really isn't as dark as the others ok? This is a little more humorous. Just to tell ya!  
  
Squid: Where do you keep coming from!!! Everywhere I go... There you are!  
  
Me: Heh heh! I kinda follow you...  
  
Squid: Stalker!  
  
Me: I'M NOT A STALKER! I'M A PERSON WHO "FOLLOWS A HOTTIE WITHOUT PERMISSION! There's a huge difference!  
  
Squid: Yeah five words.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Chapter Ten: Normal Life Not Likely  
  
Brianna was at Squid's house watching TV. It had been two weeks since she had decided not to go back to New Orleans. She was living with Shaily and her parents, even though she spent most of her time at Squid's house. Brianna was attending the Youth program at the hospital, trying to get over her drug addiction. Her gun wound was almost healed completely. She still had to be careful or it would reopen.  
  
"So what's on?" asked Squid as he threw a soda at her. She shrugged.  
  
"Nothing," she groaned. She opened her soda and took a sip from it. He smirked and grabbed the remote.  
  
"Well maybe if you turned the channel there would be something on," he laughed. She rolled her eyes and stood up. "Hey where are you goin'?" asked Squid. Brianna grinned.  
  
"I'm hungrey," she replied. Squid nodded and she left to go get something to eat. About five minutes later she came back with some popcorn and kit kat bars (haha Rain). She sat back down on the couch next to Squid. She opened one of the kit kat bars and started to eat it as they watched a movie. Squid had already started to eat the popcorn.  
  
"This is some dumb movie," whined Squid.  
  
"You turned it on."  
  
"Oh cute."  
  
Brianna grinned and kissed him lightly on the cheek. She finished eating the kit kat bar as the commercials came on the TV. "I'm bored already," she whined. Squid rolled his eyes and she glared. "What I am!" she grumbled as she took a handful of popcorn and threw it at Squid.  
  
"Oh! I see how it is!" Squid laughed throwing some popcorn at Brianna.  
  
"Hey! Whoa!" she squelaed as they began to throw more popcorn at eachother. Finally Brianna got an idea. She tookm the entire bowl of popcorn and dumped it on Squid's head. All the popcorn fell on top of him. She also left the bowl on his head. She burst out laughing at him. "You should see how stupid you look!" she laughed.  
  
"Oh real funny," he said. He pinned her down onto the couch. She was still laughing. "What're you laughing at?" he asked.  
  
She pointed to the bowl on his head. "I love your new hat!" she snickered. He grinned and kissed her on the lips.  
  
"Alan! I'm back!" said his mother from the kitchen.  
  
"Dammit!" cursed Squid.  
  
"I heard that Alan!" Brianna laughed. Squid glared at her and let Brianna up. "Oh is Brianna here?" his mother asked.  
  
"Yeah mom!" Squid answered. "She is!"  
  
"Is she staying for dinner again?"  
  
"I dunno," Squid hollered back.  
  
"Well ask her!" his mother shouted. Squid looked at Brianna and she nodded.  
  
"Yea mom she is!" he told her. Brianna looked down at her watch.  
  
"Shit," she whispered.  
  
"What?" Squid asked her. She smiled weakly and stood up.  
  
"I'm gonna be late for seminar!" Brianna answered. She headed to the kitchen. Squid followed her. Squid's mother smiled.  
  
"Hello Brianna," his mother said brightly. Brianna smiled back.  
  
"Hey, uhm I'm gonna be late. I've got my seminar tonight. So you guys can start eating without me! Ok?" Brianna said. Squid's mother nodded.  
  
"D'you need a ride?" Squid asked.  
  
"Thanks," Brianna said. "But Sherri's picking me up." She quickly grabbed her shoes and went back to the front door. She kissed Squid goodbye and walked outside. "Bye Alan!" she said waving. Brianna headed toward Shaily's house where a red car had pulled up in the driveway. Brianna hopped into the car and they drove off. Squid walked back to the couch and returned to watching the movie.  
  
"Alan! What happened in here!?" shrieked his mother seeing the popcorn all over the floor. Squid slapped his forehead remembering that he had forgotten to clean it up.  
  
"Me and Bri had a popcorn fight," he explained.  
  
"Oh Alan! Clean it up," his mother said. He sighed and got out the vaccum and started to clean up the popcorn on the floor. After he finished he sat back down on the couch and continued to watch the movie. "Alan!" his mother called out.  
  
"What?" he asked.  
  
"How does Brianna like her steak again?"  
  
"Medium-rare!"  
  
"Thanks!" Squid rolled his eyes and watched his movie but was thinking about what Brianna was talking about at her seminar.  
  
***  
  
"Now today we have a new member joining us," said Len, the leader of the youth group. She pointed to a slender raven-haired girl, looking extremely nervous. She sat down next to Brianna. "Please welcome, Teresa."  
  
"Hey there," Brianna said brightly.  
  
"H-hi," Teresa stuttered.  
  
"Hey don't be nervous. We're really nice around here," said Sherri. Brianna grinned. "We've all got problems to work out."  
  
"What're you here for?" asked Brianna.  
  
"Drug abuse," Teresa answered.  
  
"Same here," chorused Sherri and Brianna.  
  
"Ahem! Are you two girls finished yet?" asked Lena.  
  
"Oh! Sorry!" said Brianna and Sherri giggling a little. Lena sighed and the seminar began.  
  
***  
  
Squid was getting ready to set the table for his mother when the phone rang. "Alan honey could you get that?" asked his mother. Squid ran to the phone.  
  
"Hello?" he asked.  
  
"Hey Squid it's me X-Ray!" said X-Ray's voice.  
  
"What's up?"  
  
"Zero's missing," X said anxiously. "We can't find him. Have you seen him?"  
  
"No," Squid answered. Had Zero finally cracked because of Marla?  
  
"Well come help us as soon as ya can ok?" X-Ray said as he hung up the phone. Squid did too and started to set the table. He wondered if Brianna had seen Zero. He'd ask her when she came back since she hated getting calls during her seminar.  
  
***  
  
"Hey you wanna go to the music store with us, Teresa?" asked Brianna as everyone exited the seminar room. Teresa looked grateful at Brianna.  
  
"Y-yeah," Teresa stammered. She followed Sherri and Brianna out to Sherri's car. Brianna sat in the front passagner's seat and Teresa in the backseat since Sherri drove. They were halfway to the store when Brianna saw someone familar.  
  
"Hey Sher," Brianna said. "Couldya stop the car. I gotta check something out." Sherri nodded and pulled over onto the side of the road. Brianna got out of the car and saw it was Magnet. He was saying something in Spanish. Swearing most likely. "Hey Magnet! What's goin' on?"  
  
"Oh hey there Bri!" he said looking at her. "Zero's missing!"  
  
"What?!"  
  
"We think Marla being dead finally got to him. We gotta find him before he does something horrible."  
  
"Oh my God! Well don't worry I'll ask around! Ok?" Brianna assured him. Magnet grinned and watched Brianna walk back to the car.  
  
"What's goin' on?" Sherri asked.  
  
"Zero's missing," Brianna answered. "Marla's death finally got him. Magnet thinks he snapped. We gotta help find him."  
  
"But what about Squid?"  
  
"Dammit!" sweared Brianna. Brianna pulled out her cell phone and dialed Squid's number. "Hey Alan? Yea it's me. I'm gonna be late so tell your mom to save my dinner. We're out lookin' for Zero. Ok? Oh you already know? Ok! Well hurry up and we'll be around the mall ok? Yea sure! Bye!" Brianna turned off her cell phone. "Alan's gonna meet us at the mall," Brianna said.  
  
"Who's that?" asked Teresa who had finally spoken during the ride.  
  
"My boyfriend. I met him at a correctional camp." Brianna said not sounding not one bit ashamed of it.  
  
"Correctional camp?" asked Teresa.  
  
"Yeah," Brianna muttered darkly. "Camp Green Lake. It was a boy's camp but my gang and I got sent there since we were well unable to be controlled very easily. We had to dig a hole every single day and it had to be FIVE feet deep and FIVE feet across. Damn that place was hell! To think we were goin' to hafta be there for like two years, but thankfully the camp was shut down."  
  
"Who's Zero?" asked Teresa.  
  
"A boy from the camp. His real name's Hector-" said Brianna but was stopped by Teresa.  
  
"Zeroni?"  
  
"How d'you know?" Brianna asked dumbstruck. How could this girl possibly know Zero? There was no way Teresa could know Zero. "Tell me! How d'you know Zero?!" Brianna asked again a little more frusterated. Teresa smiled weakly and her eyes fell to the ground.  
  
"He's my little brother."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Charm: After rewriting this like 50 times cuz i hated the other ones I finally came up with this! Haha! IN YOUR FACE EVIL WRITER'S BLACK! MUWHAHA!  
  
Squid: Omg...  
  
Charm: Heehee! Ok well lemme tell everyone! I've got a truth or dare holes thingie written if you haven't read it. Squidy has to sing I'm a Little teapot! LOL! Also in the process of being written I have a Holes Aynonmous being done. It's also a humor story. You'll understand once it is posted. Thanx! ^^  
  
Squid: Yea! I get tied up!  
  
Charm: *covers his mouth* Shh! 


	11. You Had Me From Hello

Charm: Hey everyone! Sup? Well it took me FOREVER to find the perfect song for this chapter. I think it works pretty good! But that's just me. So tell me if it seems pretty good.  
  
Squid: -.-;;;;  
  
Charm: BTW!! DISCLAIMER TIME! AHH! Well I do not own the song "You had me from hello" by the great country artist Kenny Chesney. It belongs to him and his record company. lol. Not ME! So no SUEING!  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Chapter Eleven: You Had Me From Hello  
  
Brianna and Sherri stared at Teresa. "You're Zero's sister?!" gapped Brianna. Teresa nodded as Sherri started up the car again and headed to the mall. "Oh my God! What're you doing here?!"  
  
"I was looking for him," Teresa answered. "I ran away when he was only five and I decided I should come look for him. I really don't know why I left. I can't remember when I left... But all I know is that I gotta find him."  
  
"Well you'll be ideal for help." Sherri said grinning. They finally arrived at the mall and passed right by Squid in his car. Brianna hopped out and greeted Squid with a worried on her face.  
  
"Bri," he said. "There you are! I've been looking for you!"  
  
"In the time you were lookin' for me you coulda been lookin' for Zero!" scowled Brianna. Squid gave her a nervous laugh and did the puppy eyes trick. She rolled her eyes and said, "Oh c'mon." He grinned and they went looking for Zero.  
  
They spent an hour looking for Zero and came up with nothing. Brianna started swearing like a lunatic. Squid was trying to calm her down. She refused to calm down. Squid took her by the shoulders and sat her down on a bench. "Stop!" he scolded. "You're goin' off the deep end!"  
  
"Dammit Alan! You don't understand!" shouted Brianna.  
  
"Shh," whispered Squid. "It's going to be ok."  
  
"Whatever," she muttered. She felt tears welling in her eyes as she swore more.  
  
"Maybe I should take you home. You're a nervous wreck," Squid suggested. He helped Brianna back onto her feet and led her to his car. "I'll be here in a minute. Ok?" he said. He went off to tell X-Ray, who had just come, something. Brianna walked over to Sherri and Teresa.  
  
"Hey uhm, Alan's taking me home. He says I'm a nervous wreck so I won't be goin' to the music store tonight. I'll see you later ok? Oh call me anytime Teresa. Just not tonight. You can get my number from Sher. Ok?" Brianna whispered, with her voice shaking. Sherri and Teresa nodded. Brianna headed back to Squid's car and he was sitting in the driver's seat already.  
  
"Ready to go?" he asked her.  
  
"Y-yeah," she answered. She opened the car door and got into the seat next to his. SHe shut the door and he started his car up. He drove her back to his house. About ten minutes later, Squid pulled into his driveway and they got out of his car. They went inside his house and Brianna laid down on the couch.  
  
"You ok?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"Nothing. I-it's nothing. Just leave me alone for a little while. Ok?" Brianna assured him. Squid shrugged and went into his room. Brianna turned on her side and stared at the back of the couch. She was feeling tired. Her eyelids were growing heavy and she finally fell asleep. Squid's mother walked by and saw Brianna asleep on the couch. She smiled and put a blanket over Brianna's sleeping body.  
  
* Three Hours Later *  
  
It was around midnight and Brianna awoke. She had to use the bathroom. She had to remember where she was since she didn't remember coming back to Shaily's. "Alan..." she sighed as she got up from the couch and went upstairs to the bathroom. After using the bathroom she was heading back to the living room, but before she got to the staircase she passed a door. She looked inside through a crack in the doorway.  
  
It was Alan's room.  
  
She heard a small whimper coming from the room. She opened the door little further and was no able to stick her head into the room. Squid was tossing, turning and whimpering in his sleep. She blinked and opened the door far enough so she could enter the room. What was going on?  
  
"Dad... Please... Don't go," whimpered Squid from his bed as he thrashed violently in his sleep. Brianna apporached him reluctantly. She kneeled down beside his bedside and looked at his sleeping face. He was sweating. This made Brianna remember a song she used to sing to Jason when he had a nightmare. She closed her eyes trying to remember the lyrics. When she did she gently ran her hand through his hair and softly sang.  
  
//One word,that's all was said,  
  
Something in your voice called me,turned my head.  
  
Your smile captured me,you were in my future as far as I could see.  
  
And I dont know how it happened,but it happens still.  
  
You ask me if I love you,if I always will.........//  
  
//Well,you had me from "Hello"  
  
I felt love start to grow the moment I looked into your eyes,  
  
You won me,it was over from the start.  
  
You completely stole my heart,and now you wont let go.  
  
I never even had a chance you know?  
  
you had me from "Hello"//  
  
Squid calmed down and Brianna pulled her hand away from his forehead quickly. She stood up and looked down at him. She smiled and started to walk out of his room.  
  
"B-brianna?" asked Squid's voice from behind her. She stopped dead. "What're you doing here?"  
  
"Uh," Brianna said. She turned around and saw Squid sitting up his bed rubbing his head. "You were having a nightmare. It scared me."  
  
"Oh, well I," Squid whispered.  
  
"It's alright. I have nightmares about my dad too," Brianna said apporaching his bed again. She sat down next to him and sighed. "You really scared me."  
  
"Well you'd thrash around too if you knew how my dad left," Squid whispered. Brianna looked concerned.  
  
"How'd he leave?"  
  
"He said he was going to buy some ice cream when I was only like five... And well never came back," Squid whispered, looking depressed. Brianna smiled gently and looked at Squid, though he refused to look her in the face. She saw a tear roll down his cheek.  
  
"You're crying," she pointed out. He blinked and quickly wiped the tear away.  
  
"I am not crying! God haven't people heard of allergies?!" scowled Squid. Brianna blinked and leaned away from Squid. "Anyway," Squid said, after calming down. "What did you do?"  
  
"Pardon?"  
  
"I know you did something to calm me down..."  
  
"Oh! Well I just remembered what I would do with Jason. Sing this song I knew from my mother. She sang it to me the night my dad left. Maybe that's why I remember it so well," Brianna said quietly. She felt embarrassed since Squid had never heard her sing. Her eyes fell to the floor.  
  
"Sing it again... Please...." he said slightly begging. Brianna blushed.  
  
"You seriously wanna hear it again?" she asked amazed.  
  
"Yes," he answered her. SHe smiled modestly and looked straight ahead. She was afraid she'd mess up if she looked at Squid. She took a deep breath and readied herself to sing. This time though she say the second part of the song.  
  
//Inside I built a wall so high around my heart,  
  
I thought I'd never fall.  
  
One touch,you brought it down  
  
Bricks of my defenses scattered on the ground  
  
And I swore to me that I wasn't going to love again  
  
The last time was the last time I'd let someone in//  
  
//But, you had me from "Hello"  
  
I felt love start to grow the moment I looked into your eyes,  
  
You won me,it was over from the start.  
  
You completely stole my heart,and now you wont let go.  
  
I never even had a chance you know?  
  
you had me from "Hello"//  
  
//Thats all you said   
  
Something in your voice calls me, turns my head  
  
You had me from "Hello"  
  
You had me from "Hello"  
  
I've loved you from "Hello"//  
  
She finished the song and she turned torward Squid. "Brianna.. T-that was... beautiful," whispered Squid. Brianna blushed again and smiled contently. "No wonder you got me to calm down..."  
  
"Thanks," Brianna managed to say. Squid grinned and leaned into her cheek. He gently kissed her and made her go even darker.  
  
"No problem," he assured her. She finally turned to him and looked him in the eyes.  
  
"You're lucky your dad lied and left quietly," she muttered.  
  
"What?" he asked.  
  
"My dad left but made sure everyone within a five mile radius knew about, especially me," Brianna said letting out a small sob. She pulled down the collar of her tank top and revealed at a huge scar left there. "He threw me around like a rag doll, but when he left he decided throwing me into a damn wall wouldn't be good enough... So he took my mother's curling iron and held it againest my neck there."  
  
"What!?"  
  
"He was horrible, be thankful your dad didn't leave something like that... Everytime I look in the mirror every morning I remember him because of that mark. I can never put it behind me." Squid put his arms around Brianna's neck.  
  
"He can't hurt you anymore," he whispered to her. SHe smiled weakly and nodded.  
  
"I know," she whispered.  
  
"You better go get some more sleep."  
  
"Right," she said getting up from his bed and walking out the door. Squid felt himself smile again as he went back to sleep.  
  
* Next Morning *  
  
Brianna woke up around eight o'clock. She had been getting up unusually early without any outside help. She climbed out of the couch and folded the blanket. She set it back down on the couch and she went out the door to sit on the porch until Squid got up. She was remembering the previous night's events. She had to think for a little while.  
  
"Brianna..." said a voice. Brianna looked around her. She saw nothing. "Brianna!"  
  
"Who's there?" she asked walking away from the safety of Squid's porch. She looked around again and saw nothing. She suddenly felt a tap on her shoulder. She jumped and turned around only to see...  
  
"ZERO! Oh my God! You're alright!" she cried out. "God Marla would kill me if she found this out. Where have you been?!"  
  
"After Kayla told me about Marla, I had to do some thinking. I didn't mean to get you guys worried." Zero explained. Brianna rubbed her head and gave Zero a cross look.  
  
"You almost gave me a nervous breakdown last night!" she mumbled.  
  
"I'm sorry... I didn't mean to get everyone so worried about me!"  
  
"Well whatever. You should get back home. You're mom was raving like a lunatic last night and there should be a special visitor there waiting."  
  
"Who?"  
  
"Does the name Teresa ring a bell?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Oh," Brianna said darkly. "Well you find out soon enough. Now go on home! Go on!" Zero nodded and walked back to his house. Brianna returned to her place at Squid's porch and shut her eyes, looking at the sky. The morning air was fresh and crisp. The warm sun had come up warming the area. The perfect morning for Brianna.  
  
***  
  
"Brianna and Sherri all together in one damn place. Oh this is too easy," whispered a hard male voice. The boy had dirty blonde hair. He was wearing baggy jeans and a baggy gray sweatshirt. He was lurking in the shadows around Squid's house. He took a quick glance at Brianna and grinned poisionously. He turned around and left the scene quickly.  
  
***  
  
Brianna smiled thinking of the dilemma Squid had last night. It was kinda funny thinking about how he usually tries to play the "tough guy". She had finally seen the other side of him last night. The part of him that was still hurting. It was sad but funny in a strange way to her. It was sad because of what he went through but funny because how he acts all tough around everyone else.  
  
The song she had song sprang back to her lips. She grinned as she whislted the tune, but then sang the last lines.  
  
//I've loved you from "Hello"//  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Charm: Hey ya'll! How didya like that chappie? I really like that song so please don't make fun of it. There might be another song in another chapter or blah blah blah.  
  
Squid: Omg.  
  
Charm: Quiet! But anyway... My Holes Aynonmous story is up now so please read it! ^_~ I also need people to read my truth or dare story to give me ideas. lol! But please R+R this chapter too! I hope ya like it! Right Squidy!  
  
Squid: Whatever.  
  
Charm: I gotta go! If there's a song out there that is either country, slow, sad, please send it to me! I'm getting into this song thing! It's fun! lol! Some songas might NOT be used if they don't fit into the story. Thanx CIAO! 


	12. He Doesn't Control Me Anymore

Charm: Hello everyone! I'm sorry that I haven't updated in a day sheesh! People are trying to attack me! ACK! I'll get Squid to save me.  
  
Squid: Huh?  
  
Charm: --;;;; Idiot! Get your butt up and beat these people up!  
  
Squid: Not my problem!  
  
Charm: I'll pay this time!  
  
Squid: OH OK! *goes and beats up the people*  
  
Charm: Anyway this is to Talley: The way I over come my writer's block is well I listen to  
  
music. *shrugg* Works for me anyway. Uhm Squid propose? Uh... Just a note.. BRIANNA'S  
  
ONLY 17!!!! OMG! People! *rolls eyes* Lol on the Mysterio-so person. ^_~  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Chapter Twelve: He Doesn't Control Me Anymore  
  
Squid was laying in his bedroom for some time. He rolled over to glance at his bedside clock. It was around eight o'clock. He wondered if Brianna was asleep. He slowly got up and got a shirt on (A/N: *drools* Shirtless Squid!). He walked out of his room and slid down the banister. He walked into the living room and glanced at the couch. Brianna wasn't there. He went to the front door and saw her sitting outside. He stepped out the door, "Bri?"  
  
"Hmm?" she said not opening her eyes.  
  
"Bri, what're doing out here?"  
  
"Oh hey Alan," Brianna said, finally opening her eyes. "I'm just thinking..."  
  
"About what?"  
  
"Stuff," she whispered. Squid cocked an eyebrow and sat on his porch swing, watching  
  
Brianna. "Why are you watching me?" she asked without looking back.  
  
"Because I can," replied Squid. Brianna finally moved from her current spot and sat down  
  
next to Squid. She was grinning. "What are you smiling about?" he asked her.  
  
"You," she said trying to stifle her laughter.  
  
"Why? Did I do something funny?"  
  
"No, I was thinking of camp. The worst pick up line in the world," she giggled. Squid grinned remembering what he had said to Brianna at Camp Green Lake.  
  
"If I remember right I said, "Is that lip gloss flavored"?" he said.  
  
"I said "Yes"," Brianna said as her and Squid leaned dangerously close to eachother.  
  
"And I answered with, "I always wondered what lip gloss tasted like" or something like that," Squid whispered before their lips met.  
  
***  
  
Sherri was waiting at Shaily's house for Brianna to come over. She swore she had seen him last night. Was she going crazy? She needed to talk to Brianna. "Now calmly tell me," Shaily said sitting on the porch with Sherri. Sherri looked like she hadn't slept all night. "Who did you see?"  
  
"M-Matt..." Sherri whispered, her voice quivering.  
  
"Who's that?" Shaily asked, curisously.  
  
"H-He raped me," Sherri answered, her voice still shaking. She was dangerously pale and her stone eyes were blood shot.  
  
"I'll call Squid's and see if she's there. Ok?" Shaily said as she went back inside to call  
  
Brianna.  
  
***  
  
"Brianna! Phone!" shouted Squid's mother. Brianna pulled away from Squid and got up to the phone.  
  
"Hello? Oh hey Shail! She is? WHAT!? She saw HIM!? Where? Oh my God! I'll be there in a  
  
minute! Ok? Tell her to hang on. Thanks. Bye," Brianna said before hanging the phone up.  
  
She came back outside and looked at Squid. "I gotta go. I'll be by later ok?" she said. Squid nodded and she ran in the direction of Shaily's house.  
  
"I wonder what was so important," Squid thought aloud.  
  
***  
  
"Sherri!" Brianna shouted running up the step to SHaily's porch.  
  
"B-Bri!" whimpered Sherri.  
  
"Sherri, you actually saw him last night?"  
  
"Uh huh! He was standing outside my apartment building while I was watering my plants," Sheeri said shivering. "How'd he get out of Juvie?!"  
  
"Matt's smart. He'd find a way. Didn't you ever wonder where he got all that drug shit from without getting caught?" Brianna pointed out. Sherri's eyes fell to the ground and she let out a squeak of terror. "What?"  
  
"I think he's after you," she whispered.  
  
"What?" asked Brianna and Shaily in unision.  
  
"He got real pissed that you ran away from him. So he took out his anger on me. It was right after you left that he raped me, because he was going to rape you. You were lucky that you left when you did or he would've hurt you really bad," Sherri explained not looking up from the floor.  
  
"He wanted to what?" Shaily asked horrified.  
  
"Rape you idiot," Brianna muttered.  
  
"I know I'm just shocked!" protested Shaily making sure she had got her point across.  
  
"Whatever," Brianna muttered. She turned to Sherri. "Hey Sher, I think you should stay with Shaily for a while. Ok?"  
  
"But what about you?" asked Sherri and Shaily.  
  
"I'll stay with Alan. I did last night." Brianna said. Shaily stared at Brianna. "What? We didn't do anything you perve." Sherri snickered and Shaily sweared under her breath. "Well I'm gonna go ok? Sher, call me anytime ok?" Sherri nodded and watched Brianna walk off the porch and toward Squid's house again.  
  
***  
  
Brianna arrived at Squid's house and he was still sitting on the porch as if he were waiting for her. She walked up the porch and sat next to him again. She quickly kissed his cheek and he glanced at her. "What was that about?" he asked her.  
  
"Huh?" she said sounding confused.  
  
"What didya have to go to Shail's for?"  
  
"OH! Well nothing... Sherri had to tell me something. Ok?" Brianna lied. If she told Squid  
  
what went on over there he'd become way too protective of her. Well more than he already was. Second, how could she explain her relastionship with Matt to Squid? Sure her relastionship with Matt wasn't romanctic but still...  
  
"Bri?" Squid asked.  
  
"Huh? What?" she asked. Squid grinned and kissed her lightly.  
  
"I think you've been hangin' with Zig too much... You're zoning outta reality a lot lately."  
  
"Oh shut up," Brianna muttered walk back into his house and sitting on the couch. She  
  
turned the TV on and flipped through the channels like lightening. Squid followed her into the house and sat next to her. He blinked.  
  
"Anything on?" he asked her.  
  
"No," she murmured.  
  
"Well how can you see anything if you flip through the channel every two freakin' seconds?!" he muttered sarcatically (doncha love his big mouth). Brianna glared deathly at him. He shut his mouth.  
  
"Exactly."  
  
"Oh funny."  
  
"I know!" she giggled. Squid rolled his eyes and continued to watch Brianna flip through the channels. "I give up!" shouted Brianna handing the remote to Squid. "I'm going to sleep," she muttered. She "accidently" kicked Squid off the couch and she laid down. Squid fell onto the floor with a thud. Brianna laughed before falling asleep.  
  
Squid couldn't find anything to watch either and turned to see Brianna sleeping soundly. She was peaceful in her sleep. He loved it when she slept. She was quiet when she was asleep and she couldn't yell in her sleep. He wondered what she was dreaming about. He looked at her face. She was smiling.  
  
***  
  
Shaily was sitting in her living room when the phone rang. She picked up her phone, "Hello?" It was Zig. "What is it now? Are you sure it wasn't a chipmunk? A dog? A cat? Are you sure it wasn't YOU walking in the view of the camera? Well if you're sure... Maybe you should show Bri that tape. I think she might know who it is. Yeah yeah yeah... I know..." Shaily told Zig Zag. He started to babble. She rolled her eyes and put the phone down. She went into the kitchen and grabbed a bag of chips and sodas and returned to the room. She handed one to Sherri and opened the bag of chips.  
  
"Is he done yet?" asked Sherri after taking a sip of her soda.  
  
"Lemme check," Shaily said as she picked up the phone and listen to Zig still talking. "Hey  
  
Ricky! Hello! Ok! I understand! I gotta go now! Ok? Bye!" she hung up the phone. She rolled her eyes.  
  
"What?"  
  
"He says he found something on his tape from last night. He's got a little paranoia and this strange obsession with cameras..." Shaily muttered (Shaily: AND HE'S HOT!). Sherri got a look of confusion on her face. "I know," Shaily answered.  
  
***  
  
Squid went back into his room to let Brianna sleep. He threw himself onto his bed and pulled a box from under it. He placed it next to him on his bed and opened it slowly. Inside were the letters Brianna had written him while she was in New Orleans for her mother's funeral. He also found the necklace she had ripped off her neck a few weeks ago when she first came back. At the bottom was the picture of her and things he had written to help him cope with her death when she "died". He smiled gently and laid out the items onto his bed, remembering the past.  
  
"Alan?" asked his mother standing in the doorway.  
  
"Yeah?" he replied.  
  
"What's all that stuff?"  
  
"Oh," Squid said. He explained what all the stuff was to his mother. She bit her lip.  
  
"You actually kept all that stuff?"  
  
"Yeah. I didn't want to forget her. I just wanted to well move on." Squid explained. His mother left the room without a word. Squid rolled his eyes. He quickly put all the items back into the box and shoved it back under his bed. He got back up and went down stairs.  
  
"Marcus... lemme go please..." cried Brianna in her sleep. Squid came closer to Brianna's side. "Don't Marcus! You're hurting me! Let me go!" she cried. Squid touched her arm and she shot up from her couch, gasping. She looked around and saw Squid. Squid looked alarmed. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "Did I bother you? Sometimes I talk in my sleep..."  
  
"No you scared me like I scared you last night," Squid whispered.  
  
"Well there's another thing we have in common. We talk in our sleep and worry about eachother," Brianna said laughing. Squid gently kissed her when there was a tap on the window. Squid opened one eyes to see who it was. Zig Zag! Squid motioned for him to go away, but Zig insisted on tapping the window. Squid broke the kiss and walked over to the door and opened it.  
  
"What is it Zig?!" shouted Squid.  
  
"I-I've gotta show something to Brianna," Zig said panting.  
  
"What about me?" Brianna asked, apporaching the two boys.  
  
"I-I got this tape that... I... gotta show... you," panted Zig, handing a black tape to Brianna. SHe stared blankly at it and went over to the TV. She put the tape into the VCR and played it.  
  
"Ok," Brianna said watching the tape. "What is this about?"  
  
"Fast forward it!" Zig said. They fast forwarded until Zig said, "Stop! Right here! Watch this!" Brianna, Zig, and Squid were all watching the tape. Brianna gasped as she saw a blonde boy in baggy cloths appear onto the screen.  
  
"When did you tape this?" asked Brianna, looking at Zig Zag.  
  
"Yesterday."  
  
"He's here."  
  
"Who is?" asked Squid looking jealous again. Brianna rolled her eyes.  
  
"Don't give me that look! You're the only person, as I've said REPEATEDLY, that I would ever want to be with. It's just that this guy was a "sort of" friend of mine. He's the one who got me hooked on drugs." Brianna explained. Squid stared.  
  
"THAT DAMN BASTARD WAS THE ONE WHO DID THAT TO YOU!? I'LL KILL HIM!" shouted Squid in outrage and jumping up from the couch and running around the living room. Zig and Brianna blinked and stared at him as if he were an idiot. Brianna stood up and took him by the shoulders.  
  
"Shh," she said trying to silence him. "It's alright calm down!"  
  
"No it's not alright!" Squid growled. He started to swear. Hopefully his mother didn't hear him. Brianna let him go an dhe turned to face her.  
  
"Whoa! Squid! Calm down! You're starting to scare me!" Zig muttered, blinking. Brianna giggled and Squid rolled his eyes.  
  
"Alan," Brianna said calmly. "You don't-!"  
  
"SHUT UP! I'M GONNA KILL THIS ASSHOLE!" shouted Squid. Brianna blinked.  
  
"SQUID!" she shouted useing his nickname. She only did that when she got very frustrated with him. "HE DOESN'T CONTROL ME ANYMORE!"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Charm: How'd ya like that? Huh? I thought this was a stupid chapter. *shrug* I'm stupid I guess.  
  
Squid: You guess?! I knew that for a while!  
  
Charm: I'll get the duct tape out if you don't shut your mouth!  
  
Squid: ACK! NO! (you hafta read my Holes Aynonmous story to understand the duct tape thing)  
  
Charm: Good! Lol! Well R+R! Ciao! 


	13. Claw's Departure, Charm's Return

Charm: Hey everyone! Sorry I haven't updated. I've been kinda in a slump. ^^;;;; Thanx to my reviewers for reading! ^^ You guys rule! ^_~  
  
Squid: Omg.  
  
Charm: Silence!!  
  
Squid: Whatever…  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Chapter Thirteen: Claw's Departure, Charm's Return  
  
Squid stared at Brianna in shock. He was shocked she'd yell at him like that. He glanced at Brianna, who was now sitting down on the couch. She was rubbing her head again. He sat down next to her. "Bri?" he asked.  
  
"What?!" she snapped.  
  
"Never mind."  
  
Brianna stood up and walked out the door without so much as a good bye to Zig or Squid, which seemed very much unlike her. She slammed the door behind her and walked toward Shaily's house. Squid felt guilty for yelling at her like that.  
  
"Now ya done it," snickered Zig Zag. Squid glared at him and went up to his room and slammed the door. Zig Zag was left in the room. "Doesn't anyone say good bye anymore?" he muttered before leaving the house.  
  
***  
  
Brianna walked right past Shaily's house. She was going to go into town to think. Maybe she shouldn't've since Matt was on the loose. But Brianna was thick headed sometimes so she really didn't care. She wondered if he would find her. "Stupid Matt," she muttered.  
  
"You wouldn't be talking about me now would you," said someone coming up behind her. He placed his arm around her waist.  
  
"Lemme go," she growled.  
  
"Charm," Matt whispered. "Honey… Why'd you leave me?"  
  
"I left because I love another, Mutt!" Brianna grumbled using his nickname she had given him. His eyes narrowed.  
  
"Who?"  
  
"I won't tell you!"  
  
***  
  
"Stupid stupid stupid!" shouted Squid in his room, knocking stuff over. "How could I do that to her?! Me and my big mouth." He stopped. "Wait a minute, she left and Matt's out there… Oh no!" Squid said realzing the danger she could get into. He ran out of his room forgetting their fight to find her. He ran out the door to find her.  
  
***  
  
"LET ME GO DAMMIT!" cursed Brianna as she tried to fight her way out of Matt's grip.  
  
"Oh c'mon," Matt said grinning. He nuzzled her gently and pulled her against him. His grip around her waist became tighter. She went red. "Y'know ya missed me."  
  
"NO! DON'T TOUCH ME! LET ME GO!"  
  
"Let her go," shouted Squid.  
  
"Who's this moron?" asked Matt. Brianna kicked Matt and finally squirmed out of his grip. She faltered but eventually got to her feet. She ran to Squid and hugged him tightly.  
  
"I'm sorry Alan," Brianna whispered.  
  
"Hush. We'll talk about that later," Squid whispered back to her. He kissed her quickly on the cheek and then glared at Matt. He stared at Squid with jealousy burning in his eyes. "So you're Matt?" asked Squid.  
  
"Oh so you've heard of me?" mocked Matt.  
  
"Don't you EVER touch Brianna again!"  
  
"She belongs to me," hissed Matt. Brianna blinked remembering something. She felt her right shoulder. She backed away from the two. She pulled down the collar of her tank top and saw a scratch mark on it. Matt had done that to prove to everyone she was HIS property. But Squid… He was the guy she really loved.  
  
"Prove it!" shouted Squid.  
  
"Charm get over her!" commanded Matt. She obeyed and stood next to Matt. "Where's that scratch mark?" he said as he looked for the mark. He found it and exposed it to Squid. "She belongs to me!"  
  
"A damn mark doesn't prove anything!" protested Squid. Brianna admired him. She started to walk toward Squid but was stopped by Matt.  
  
"Mutt let me go!" shouted Brianna.  
  
"No! You belong to me," Matt growled in a low tone. Squid approached Brianna and grabbed her arm.  
  
"You don't belong to anyone, Bri. Listen, you said it yerself," whispered Squid to her.  
  
"What?" she asked.  
  
"He doesn't control you anymore, remember?" Squid said to her. Brianna blinked and started to grin. She pushed Matt away and ran to Squid.  
  
"What're you doing?" shouted Matt in outrage. Brianna turned to him and rolled her eyes. Matt didn't understand why Brianna would betray him like this. Why would she do this to him?  
  
"I don't belong to anyone!" Brianna exclaimed. Matt stared at her.  
  
"BRIANNA YOU BELONG TO ME! GET YOUR ASS OVER HERE!"  
  
"No."  
  
"What?"  
  
"NO! YOU HEARD ME! NO! YOU RAPIST!"  
  
Squid glanced down at Brianna. "What?" he asked her. Brianna glanced up at Squid and smiled weakly.  
  
"He raped Sherri," she whispered. "That's the reason I was over at Shaily's the other day because she got scared he would rape me." Squid blinked in shock. Who did this guy think he was? Another Mad Dog?  
  
"Damn right I raped her. She was the bitch left after you left me Bri…" hissed Matt. Brianna blinked. Sherri was right. Matt did want to rape her. Squid pushed Brianna behind him realizing what Matt meant. Matt came closer trying to get Brianna back. Squid pushed her further back.  
  
"Don't you touch her!" Squid shout.  
  
"Who's going to stop me?" Matt laughed. His laugh sent a cold shiver down Brianna's spine.  
  
"We will!" chorused the Strips and Sherri.  
  
"GIRLS!" cried out Brianna happily. Her friends all nodded. Brianna turned and smirked at Matt. "Now you've got all of us to worry about Matthew!" Brianna said feeling courage return to her. She was always a better fighter when she had her friends behind her. She turned to the girls and they nodded. They all pulled out switchblades and were ready to fight. "Wait!" Brianna exclaimed.  
  
"What?" asked Susan.  
  
"Where's Kayla?"  
  
"We'll tell you later."  
  
"Ok." Brianna said feeling confused. She shook it off and then turned to Matt. The girls surrounded him holding their switchblades. He looked defeated.  
  
"Dammit!" he sweared. He ran off.  
  
"AND YOU BETTER NOT COME BACK YOU BASTARD!" shouted Shaily looking defiant. Everyone stared at her as if she was an idiot, which she is but oh well. Squid rolled his eyes and was about to say something smart mouthed, but Brianna held her hand to his mouth.  
  
"Don't ruin it for her," Brianna laughed. Squid sighed and then they began to walk back to Squid's house. Brianna grinned and turned to Susan. "Ok! Now tell me where's Kayla?" Brianna asked.  
  
"She left. She got tired of us helping you out and she said we were turning into goodie goodies. Kayla went back to New Orleans to start her own gang. Caveman decided to go with her. I knew she'd betray us!" Susan muttered.  
  
"Susan… Watch it! You and Kayla are my best friends. You keep you trap shut when you talk about her." Commanded Brianna.   
  
"So Charm we were wonderin' if you would, uh, come back." Shaily said sheepishly. Brianna licked her lips and pondered the question for a little while. "Oh yeah! Sherri joined so she can be Claw now!"  
  
"No," Brianna said simply. "She has to EARN her nickname. Remember Shaily?"  
  
"Does that mean?"  
  
"Hell yeah! Charm is back!" Brianna chimmed.  
  
"AW YEAH CHARM'S BACK!" squealed the girls.  
  
"When do I get a nickname?" asked Sherri.  
  
"Hm," Brianna said pondering the question. "After a while I'll let you get a nickname and we'll make sure you get branded so you can't go blab our secrets. Sorry Alan you can't get in on this little secret. As for Kayla… She's lucky she ran. She had to die in order to get out she choose the easier way. Run."  
  
"She'll regret leaving won't she?" asked Michelle.  
  
"Hell yeah!" Susan laughed. Squid rolled his eyes.  
  
"Hey hon, what's wrong?" asked Brianna looking at Squid. "You haven't said any smart mout comment this whole walk!" He looked down at her.  
  
"That mark on you… I was wonderin' what did Matt exactly do to give you that?" Squid asked. Brianna could feel the jealousy in his voice. She rolled her eyes.  
  
"Alan," Brianna pleaded. "Please don't start this now!"  
  
"Oh yeah we're going to start this now!" shouted Squid, stopping on the sidewalk along with Brianna. The girls all got nervous looks on their faces.  
  
"Give us a minute," Brianna said to the girls. They nodded and went on ahead. "Please Alan! I really don't wanna go into this!"  
  
"We're going into this subject wether you like it or not!" growled Squid.  
  
"Fine! Matt scratched me to show he owned me! OK! ARE YOU HAPPY NOW?!" shouted Brianna in outrage.  
  
"WHY DID YOU LET HIM DO THAT!?"  
  
"THERE WASN'T MUCH I COULD DO DAMMIT!"  
  
"BRIANNA YOU DON'T BELONG TO HIM!"  
  
"I KNOW THAT DAMMIT!"  
  
"YOU BELONG TO ME!"  
  
SLAP!  
  
"I don't belong to anyone!!" shouted Brianna. "I'm not anyone's play toy SQUID!" She walked off leaving him in her wake.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Charm: That was pretty short huh? Lol! I thought so too! Wow! Brianna and Squid had a fight! AWWW! What d'you think is going to happen? R+R!  
  
Squid: I had a fight with who?  
  
Charm: OMG! Will you go do something!  
  
Squid: Huh? What????  
  
Shaily: Did he just come in from Stupidsvill?  
  
Charm: *thwaks Shaily* LEAVE SQUIDY ALONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 


	14. Before I Knew Better

Charm: OH NO NO NO! They fought!!!!!! AHHH! *calms down* Lol Rain. You smacked Squid! Yay!  
  
Squid: -.- Hmph.  
  
Charm: Your boring! Where's Ziggy? He can set stuff on fire!  
  
Shaily: If you can't find him can I set stuff on fire? *plays with her lighter*  
  
Squid: O_O  
  
Charm: Just kidding! (lol Kayla! Inside joke. You hafta go to my school to understand it!) This is wrtten while listening to Country Music. lol. Now another Disclaimer time! Yeahh........ I do not own the song "Before I Knew Better" I forgot who it was by but it belong to whoever it is. Not ME!!!!!! So no sueing! ^_^  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Chapter Fourteen: Before I Knew Better  
  
Brianna was sitting in her room at Shaily's house. She sat by the window looking out of it. "Stupid Squid!" she muttered. She was pretty mad at him if she called him by his nickname. He knew she was mad at him too. She slapped him pretty good. Brianna couldnt help better wonder what Squid was thinking about. Was he mad at her now? Or hurt? Brianna wiped her eyes. She was feeling guilty already. "Damn tears," she grumbled.  
  
"Charm?" asked Shaily coming into the room.  
  
"What?" Brianna snapped.  
  
"You wanna talk about it?"  
  
"No!"  
  
"Ok," Shaily said, blinking. She walked out of Brianna's rooom and let her cool off for a little while. Brianna continued to look out the window. Brianna face was growing warm due to the fact HE was coming torward the house. She hurrily shut her window and closed the drapes so she wouldn't have to look at him. She walked over to her bed and thought of a song. It really did describe her well. She had heard it on the radio once and it did touch her.  
  
//No one said that I'd jump off that rocky ledge//  
  
//So I did and I broke my leg//  
  
//Then I let Big Jean tell me I could take some guy//  
  
//Twice my size, but ol' Jean lied//  
  
Brianna laughed as the words replayed in her head. She didn't exactly all those tihngs but her action from teh past were close enough. She felt her lips break into a smile after she had finished laughing.  
  
***  
  
"Hey Shaily," Squid said. "Is Brianna here?"  
  
"Why should I let you in? You really got her pissed off!" growled Shaily. Squid stared at her looking pathetic. She rolled her eyes. "Wait here I'll see if I can't get to come down," Shaily added. Squid brightenedd and waited on Shaily to get Brianna. He sat on her porch swing.  
  
"What did I do to her that mad?" he asked himself (well isn't it obvious?).  
  
"Hey Squid! She won't come down. You've got a better chance to talk to her if you go up their yerself," said Shaily. Squid blinked noting Shaily's accent coming back for a brief moment. He loved that accent when Brianna spoke in it. It must've been nice to live in New Orleans. He sighed and stood up from the swing. He went into Shaily's house, up the stairs and then to Brianna's room. THe door was wide open and he didn't want to bother her since she looked like she was thinking.  
  
She was singing again.  
  
//I can't pretend that I ain't been my life's own wrecking crew//  
  
//And I'm surprised that I survived//  
  
//All that I put myself through//  
  
Squid blinked. He knew that song somehow. He wasn't sure how he knew it but he did. It was like one of those things that you push to the back of your brain and just forget about it until it comes back to you. He leaned againest the doorframe listening to her sing again.  
  
//Before I knew better//  
  
//Before I woke up//  
  
//I did a whole lot of crazy, foolish thing I'm ot proud of//  
  
//It was just like me, to risk it all//  
  
//Even with the pain I wait the pleasure//  
  
//Before I knew better//  
  
Squid grinned. This did sound like a song she would listen to. It sounded like his life in a way too. He strangely knew the next part of the song. He waited for her to start and then he would interupt her. She started to sing and then so did he except he whispered the lines.  
  
//You were the first to make me wanna change//  
  
//My reckless ways and I almost did//  
  
//Somehow I lost track and wound up giving in//  
  
//To the late night life and the good time friends//  
  
Brianna blinked. SHe turned and saw Squid in her doorway. He was whispering the lyrics too. How'd he know her song? "Alan?" she asked. He sighed wih relief. She was using his real name. She wasn't so mad after all. Thank God. "What're you doing here?!" she grumbled turning from him.  
  
"I-I, uh," he wasn't exactly good at saying sorry.  
  
"What!"  
  
"Brianna chill! This is real hard for me!! OK!?" shouted Squid.  
  
"Spill it now!" Brianna growled. Squid was growing frustrated with her. Brianna was remembering the next part of the song.  
  
//You swore to me you'd one day you'll leave//  
  
//And all I had to say//  
  
"WELL THERE'S THE DOOR WHATCHA WAITIN' FOR AND WHO NEEDS YOU ANYWAY!" Brianna shouted unable to control her anger anymore. She wanted Squid to leave right then. She could feel her blood boiling under her skin she was so upset. Squid blinked at her and walked out. She slammed the door and fell back onto her bed in tears.  
  
***  
  
Squid walked out of SHaily's house pacing back and forth. He wanted to apolgize for whatever he did wrong. He walked outside on Shaily's porch trying to figure out how exactly he would tell her. "Oh God this is harder than I thought!" he said thinking he sounded like a sissy. He didn't realize someone was watching him.  
  
***  
  
Brianna had pulled back the drapes and opened her window so she could watch Squid pace on Shaily's porch. It looked so funny. She smiled brightly. She thought of everything that they had been through. Too much to just throw their relationship away like she was doing. Why did she do this? She drew people in and then pushed them away. Even her own flesh and blood. She did it to Jason. She knew she did  
  
//Before I knew better//  
  
//Before I woke up//  
  
//I did a whole lot of crazy, foolish thing I'm ot proud of//  
  
//It was just like me, to risk it all//  
  
//Even with the pain I wait the pleasure//  
  
//Before I knew better//  
  
Brianna realized something. No matter how mad she got at Squid... She couldn't STAY made at him. There was no way she could ever stay mad at him. But she knew she was mad at him now. She looked out her window again. Squid looked like he was ready to leave. "Oh no," she whispered. "Wait! I'm mad! I don't need him!!"  
  
//I hope somehow, someday//  
  
//We could turn this thing around//  
  
Brianna realized she DID need Squid. She swung open her bedroom door and ran down the stairs. She got to the front door and swung it open. She saw Squid walking away. "ALAN!" she cried out. He stopped and turned around. He blinked when he saw Brianna. She ran up to him, threw her arms around his neck and buried her face into his shoulder. She whispered the lyrics to the song,  
  
//I thought your love was something I could live without//  
  
Squid pushed her away gently and smiled down at her. "I'm sorry," he finally said to her. She smiled.  
  
"Me too," she replied.  
  
//Before I knew better//  
  
//Before I woke up//  
  
//I did a whole lot of crazy, foolish thing I'm ot proud of//  
  
//It was just like me, to risk it all//  
  
//Even with the pain I wait the pleasure//  
  
//Before I knew better//  
  
Brianna looked up at Squid. "Ack!" she said.  
  
"What?" he asked her, looking alarmed.  
  
"That toothpick scared me!"  
  
"Oh funny..." Squid said flatly. She quickly gave him peck on the cheek. He grinned and kissed her on the mouth. She felt tears of happiness filling her eyes. She quickly returned this kiss with her own. They broke the kiss in unision and Squid whispered, "I love you."  
  
"I love you too, Alan," she replied. Brianna was so happy.  
  
//Before I knew better//  
  
//Before I woke up//  
  
//I did a whole lot of crazy, foolish thing I'm ot proud of//  
  
//It was just like me, to risk it all//  
  
//Even with the pain I wait the pleasure//  
  
//Before I knew better//  
  
FInally they let eachother go. Brianna was pondering wether or not she should take his toothpick again. Squid got the hint and pulled away from her. "No no! You're not pulling that again!" he said backing away. She tried to look innocent.  
  
"I wasn't going to do anything!" she said with a fake innocent tone. Squid rolled his eyes.  
  
"Yeah right," he said without any emotion. She grinned.  
  
"Aw! Your such a wet blanket," Brianna answered. Squid stared at her.  
  
"I am not!"  
  
"Are too."  
  
"Am not!"  
  
"Are too! End of discussion! HA!"  
  
"You think your so cute dontcha?" Squid asked. She winked and grinned mischieviously. "What're you thinking?" Squid knew Brianna too well to not take that grin not seriously. She was planning something. But what? That was the question. She apporached Squid and quickly pulled his toothpick out of his mouth. "Oh my God! Not AGAIN!!" he shouted. She laughed.  
  
"Hahaha! I got it! That's what? TWICE! HAHA!" she said giggling madly.  
  
"Oh very funny! Give that back!" Squid whined, trying to get the toothpick back again. She smiled and handed it back to Squid.  
  
"Are ya happy? Whiner!" Brianna smiled. She had said that sentence in that wonderful New Orleans accent Squid had grew to love.  
  
"Is that so?" asked Squid. He pulled Brianna againest him and he eyed her. He kissed her lightly on the lips.  
  
"Er, Bri I know this isn't a great time but, uh," Shaily said coming outside. Brianna pulled away from Squid and stared at Shaily.  
  
"What?" asked Brianna coldly.  
  
"You've got a phone call," Shaily answered.  
  
"Who? Where?"  
  
"New Orleans, it's Kayla."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Charm: Oooo! Cliffhanger I think... lol! ^^ I'm not totally sure if it is or not! Rain couldya tell me! Your so great at finding those! lol!  
  
Squid: Omg! D'you people have lives or what?  
  
Charm: Quiet! I'll send you back to CGL if don't keep quiet.  
  
Squid: Hmph. THat place would be better than this hell.  
  
Charm: *pulls out the duct tape* Any more dumb comments?  
  
Squid: *shuts mouth and shakes head*  
  
Charm: Very good! ^^  
  
Shaily: Omg. Where's my lighter?  
  
Charm: I threw it away!  
  
Shaily: WHAT!? MY POOR LIGHTER!  
  
Charm: *whispering to readers* Shaily's a pyro... We can't trust her with anything that involves fire. lol! NOW REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 


	15. Tearful Goodbyes and Future Desires

Charm: HEY EVERYONE! I HAVE RETURNED FROM A PARTY!!! And I'm dead tired. *rubs eyes* But I'm gonna hafta get like twenty can of pepsi and get on caffine! Muwaha!  
  
Squid: Omg.  
  
Charm: Silence! Anyway! Onward to the chapter!!!!!! Btw way Rain!!! I got to see part of the Newies! I was so mad that I didn't get to finish it! I'm gonna hafta buy it! It's awesome!!!!!! ^^ I'm thinking about maybe two more chapters for this story after this one. If you guys have any ideas PLEASE tell me cuz I have no clue how to end this story. Talley I dunno if you ACTUALLY meant that one review about Squid proposing... If you did please tell me... That might work better than I first thought. ^^  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Chapter Fifteen: Tearful Goodbyes and Future Desires  
  
Brianna slowly took the phone from Shaily. "Hello?" she asked.  
  
"Hey Charm," replied Kayla's voice. She seemed nervous. Brianna covered the receiver and took a deep breath. This was so nerve racking. She released the receiver.  
  
"Claw," she whispered. "What're ya callin' for?" Squid adored her beautiful New Orleans accent.  
  
"I, uh, wanted to tell ya good luck, Bri."  
  
"What?"  
  
"With Squid, your new life, everything." Kayla said seriously. Brianna blinked.  
  
"But Claw I thought you were going to start over too!" whimpered Brianna. She heard Kayla giving an almost fake sounding laugh. It was a laugh that didn't seem natural to Kayla's personality. "Claw?"  
  
"It's time Charm," Kayla said. "You and I knew that one day we'd go our serperate ways.  
  
Well, it's time. I know ya probably the me for this but I-."  
  
"No," Brianna whispered. "I understand ya completely. Ya still wanna live a crazy life doncha? Well just to let ya know, make sure ya get people ya can trust with your life. That's the basis of a gang of friendship. If ya ever change yer mind yer always welcome back."  
  
"Thanks Bri," Kayla said almost grateful. "Oh! I also wanted to say thanks. Thanks for saving me from being a nutcase murderer. I dunno what the hell I would do if I never met you. Thanks so much. If yer ever in New Orleans, look me up."  
  
"Don't worry. I will." Brianna was on the verge of tears as they bid each other a final goodbye. Brianna turned the phone off and handed it back to Shaily. She went back onto the porch and stared out onto the evening horizon. Squid came up behind her. He placed his arms around her waist.  
  
"You ok?" he asked.  
  
"Yeah," she said turning to him. One silent tear was sliding down her face.  
  
"You're crying," Squid pointed out. She smiled almost joyfully.  
  
"She doesn't need me anymore. Claw can do what she wants now. I'm proud of her."  
  
***  
  
"YOU'RE HAPPY SHE LEFT!?" shouted Shaily.  
  
"SHE COULD RUIN US!" growled Susan.  
  
"Not just that BUT GIVE AWAY OUR SECRETS!" yelled Michelle.  
  
"HOW CAN YOU BE HAPPY?!" they shouted in unison.  
  
"She's free to do what she wants. Ya'll gonna leave me sometime. Sooner or later it WILL happen. I'm not to control yer lives forever. I've got my future all ready. Y'know ya don't wanna be gangters the rest of yer lives." Brianna answered them. Shaily, Michelle, and Susan all sat down pondering the question. It did make sense. Brianna was right. They didn't want to be criminals forever. "D'you understand?" Brianna added. They nodded.  
  
* Next Day *  
  
Brianna was laying on the couch at Squid's house. He was growing worried about her. She hadn't done a thing in a while. She just watched TV all day long. Squid finally was growing irritated by her behavior. He knelt down beside her. "What are you doin'?" he asked.  
  
"I've been thinkin' about my future. I wanna go to college," whispered Brianna, blushing in embarrassment. If she told this to her friends they'd laugh at her. No one knew how book smart Brianna was. In New Orleans she had dropped out of High School to be a full time criminal. While she was gone she was enrolled into school but hardly went. She skipped almost every day.  
  
But now...  
  
Now everything was different. She wanted to fix her life. She wanted to go back to school and start over again. "Does that sound stupid from me or what?" laughed Brianna realizing reality. She couldn't do anything with ehr life since she already had screwed it up. Squid grinned and kissed her lightly.  
  
"No," he said simply.  
  
"What?"  
  
"No it sounds great! I think you could go to college. Even though I'll miss you horribly." Squid said quietly in her ear. She started to laugh. "What? I'm serious!"  
  
"I know but yer talking in my ear!" she said giggling. Squid kissed her mouth. Then he quickly pulled away. Brianna got onto the floor next to Squid and rested her head againest his shoulder. "Hey Alan... Whaddya wanna do with yer life?" she asked him.  
  
"Well I'm started school last year. I'm a Junior this year. I wanna go to college too."  
  
"What are ya gonna study?" He blushed. "What?"  
  
"Marine Biology."  
  
"I finally understand yer nickname!" Brianna exclaimed. Squid looked at her thinking she was a little late in the game for that. "Ok that had nothing to do with college but ok!" she said brightly. Squid kissed her cheek lightly. "What college d'you wanna go to?"  
  
"Not really sure."  
  
"I wanna go to New Orleans Univerisity and then to Harvard Law School."  
  
"Havard?!"  
  
"I wanna be a lawyer... I know... It sounds weird but I think I could do it! I really do."  
  
"But-!"  
  
"You don't think I could do it," she whispered.  
  
"No no! It's just Havard?! That's a VERY picky school! You shouldn't get yer hopes up about gettin' into that school!" exclaimed Squid, looking alarmed at her reaction. Brianna got a crestfallen look on her face. She looked down at the floor. Squid looked over at her and lifted her face up by the chin. He looked directly into her green eyes. "But I never said you  
  
WOULDN'T get in, did I?"  
  
"Oh Alan! Yer such a brown noser," Brianna nuzzling him lightly.  
  
"Very funny," Squid said back to her.  
  
"When does school start again?" asked Brianna.  
  
"End of next month."  
  
"Good then I'll have to get registered and all that great stuff."  
  
"Oh suck it up Brianna."  
  
"Oh shut up."  
  
* Next Month *  
  
"God damn school shopping," muttered Squid. He hated shopping.  
  
"Oh suck it up!" Brianna using his own words againest him. He rolled his eyes. Brianna had been to the High School and registered herself for the new school year. She was going to be a Sophmore. She was a year behind because she dropped out of school halfway through her Sophmore year. "C'mon we've gotta lot of shopping to do!"  
  
"Oh come on this is retarded!"  
  
"Everything to you is," muttered Brianna.  
  
"I heard that!" yelled Squid.  
  
"Oh can you think positive for once?!" asked Brianna, glancing at Squid as she picked out what kind of backpack she wanted.  
  
"Well atleast this year I'll have MY honey at the school dances," Squid said kissing Brianna's cheek from behind her. She started to laugh.  
  
"Now stop! We've gotta meet Shaily, Zig, Susan, Magnet, Michelle and Twitch at the fountain!  
  
Stop fooling around!" Brianna said as she threw three more things into her shopping cart.  
  
"Alan! Stop playing with the five year old supplies!" she yelled.  
  
"Sorry!" Squid said as he put the pencils down. "Ruin my fun!"  
  
"Ouch that hurt," Brianna muttered. "Didya pick out a binder yet?"  
  
"Yeah yeah yeah," Squid said throwing a black binder into the cart. Brianna kissed him.  
  
"Good boy," she said laughing. "I'm so proud of you." Squid grinned and grabbed her waist and pulled her close to him.  
  
"Gotcha," he whispered. She looked at him questionably. He stared into her eyes and kissed her quickly on the mouth. She pulled away after they had kissed for about two minutes. She held him tightly. "I-I'm gonna miss you when you go off to college." He said.  
  
"Me too," she answered. "But we shouldn't worry about that now right?"  
  
"Right!" he said before giving her a quick peck on the forhead.  
  
"WHAT ARE YOU TWO DOIN'!?" shouted Shaily from across the store.  
  
Squid and Brianna pulled away from their embrace and grinned over at Shaily. Shaily sweared and walked out of the store. "C'mon," laughed Brianna. "We should really pay for this stuff now." Squid nodded and followed Brianna to the check out counter. Brianna paid for the items and they grabbed the bags and headed toward the fountain. Shaily, Michelle, Susan, Twitch, Magnet, and Zig were all waiting.  
  
"About time!" shouted Susan.  
  
"Were you two makin' out in the store, God!" muttered Magnet. Squid glared at Magnet and Brianna glared at Squid.  
  
"Watch it Magnet!" growled Squid. Brianna nudged him in the stomach. "Damn!"  
  
"You calm down," Brianna said.  
  
"Whatever," Squid muttered.  
  
"Let's go already! C'mon!" Zig Zag grumbled. Michelle rolled her eyes.  
  
"Yeah let's go! I'm hungrey!" whispered Brianna. Everyone agreed and went outside to the parking lot. Squid and Brianna hopped into Squid's car and drove back to his house.  
  
"I'll carry that for you," said Squid.  
  
"No, that's alright! I'm fine!" said Brianna as she held her bags. Squid wasn't so sure about that. He was slightly protective of Brianna since the Mad Dog incident. "I'm fine Alan," she assured him. He nodded and followed her into the house.  
  
"Alan? Are you two home?" yelled his mother from the kitchen.  
  
"Yeah mom we are!" called out Squid. "We're back."  
  
"Oh well put you school stuff up your room ok Alan?"  
  
"RIght mom." Squid said as him and Brianna went up the staircase. They walked into Squid's room and placed the bags of school supplies onto his floor. Squid grabbed the last bag and found Brianna laying down on his bed. "What're you doin'?"  
  
"I'm dead tired," she muttered.  
  
"Figures." Squid replied. She threw his pillow at him. "Ow!"  
  
"Shut up! My head hurts."  
  
Squid laughed and walked over to his bed. He got down beside her and gently ran his hand through her dark chesnut hair. He looked down at her face to see her eyes shut. She was tired. He leaned into her ear and whispered, "You had me from hello." He smiled and kissed her cheek before letting her sleep. She stirred but settled as soon as he left the room. Squid walked downstairs and saw his mother sitting in the living room watching TV. "Mom?" he asked.  
  
"Shh," his mother silenced him. Something was on the news.   
  
"Today former Scorpion Gang Members were found wondering the streets. The local police have Terry "Lure" Markson, Jade "Blondie" Handleson, and Cassie "Blade" Derickson in custody at the local Juvinelle Center. More details will be available as soon as possible," said a almost shocked news caster. Squid blinked. Those Scorpions were still hanging around the area. He sat down next to his mother hoping more details would come up.  
  
It was a half an hour before more details came onto the TV. "We have just received word that the Scorpions have only told them only four words. "Charm is a murderer" was all the Scorpions would say to the police authorities. The Scorpions, as the police inform us, are missing two members. One Derick last name unknown, and the leader Marcus "Mad Dog" Sheldon. The only person who might have an idea to the whereabouts is Mad Dog's former member, girlfriend, and founder of The Strips, Brianna Lyn "Charm" Barlow-Synch. But sources are not sure of her whereabouts at this time. More detail at eleven."  
  
Squid jumped up from the couch before his mother said a word. He ran upstairs and into his room. "Brianna! Get up!" he said shaking her gently. She awoke.  
  
"Wha-?" she slurred. Squid explained what the news had said about the Scorpions. Brianna just laughed. Squid stared at her as if she was crazy.  
  
"How can you be laughing!?" shouted Squid.  
  
"Easy. The police have nuttin on me since I helped 'em catch those bastards and I killed Mad Dog outta self defense. So there's nothing for me to worry about. Derick, he's nuttin to worry about either. He just a steriod freak." Brianna explained to calm Squid down.  
  
"But my mom!"  
  
"Aw she's the least of my worries," Brianna muttered.  
  
"What!?"  
  
"Matt's still out there unless he went back to Brooklyn. Please dear God... I hope he is back there in Brooklyn."  
  
"So THAT'S where you were?! BROOKLYN!?"  
  
"Yeah! I got family friends in Manhatten but I hung around Brooklyn."  
  
"Oh my God!" Squid shouted. "How the hell didya get here from BROOKLYN!?"  
  
Brianna winked, "Great thing about having rich family friends..."  
  
"You didn't!"  
  
"I did! I kinda swiped them of spare cash and got myself a ticket to find you and my buddies!" she answered bubblely. Squid rolled his eyes but couldn't resist her resourcfulness. You just had to love her (except all you freak flamers out there!). He kissed her on the mouth. She placed her arms around his neck and his arms around her waist. They pulled away in unision and rested againest eachother. "I love you."  
  
"I love ya too," Squid whispered back to Brianna. She nuzzled him. They didn't want to let eachother go. They were happy in this embrace. Nothing could bother them while they were like this. Nothing. Not even Matt.  
  
"Are you excited about school?" asked Brianna, breaking the silence.  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Because I'll have a knock'em dead date for the proms."  
  
"You're so weird. Y'know that!" Brianna answered giving him a kiss.  
  
"Yeah well it's the truth!"  
  
"Alan..."  
  
"What?!"  
  
"Stop brown nosing."  
  
"Oh damn," Squid muttered.  
  
"What?" asked Brianna.  
  
"Ya caught me!" he said laughing. Brianna rolled her eyes and rested her head againest his chest. Squid was getting tired of sitting up so he slowly laid back onto his bed with Brianna head laying on his chest.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Charm: AWWW! Ok stop. How'd ya like it. I thought was really romantic... Omg. Heh!   
  
Squid: Gross.  
  
Charm: *glomps Squid* You know you just LOVE the attention.  
  
Squid: *rolls eyes* Whatever. *pushes Charm off of him*  
  
Charm: HEY! DON'T HURT GIRLS YA MEANIE!!!!!!! *grabs the duct tape and chases Squid  
  
around* R+R!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 


	16. Time Flies When You Don't Want It To

Charm: Hey everyone... oh no!! The second to last chapter of Filling in the Holes. AHHH! *cries* I'm so happy that so many people wanted me to continue writing. You don't know how great that is! *cries more* I wish I could thank you... And I will in the credit thingie after I'm finished. But right now I can't! ^^  
  
Squid: *rubbing head after Rain thwacked him* Hmph.  
  
Charm: Can you say anything else?  
  
Squid: ........  
  
Charm: Well that's a start don't say anything. Blessed silence.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Chapter Sixteen: Time Flies When You Don't Want It To  
  
High School years just flew by between Squid and Brianna. Brianna was now a Senior in High School getting ready to graduate. Squid graduated last year and was accepted into New York University (i have no clue wether they have marine biology as a major so work with me here!). Brianna became the valadictorian in her class. She was also accepted into New Orleans University, just like she wanted. Her friends were all staying and going to the local college because they didn't want to leave like Brianna and Squid.  
  
* Graduation *  
  
Brianna was wearing a black robe with a graduation hat (i forgot what they're called) on her head. Squid was never so proud of her in his entire time of knowing her. He listen to her intently as she gave her valadictorian speech. Her friends were all crying because they knew this triggered the last summer they would have together. Squid was crying on the inside because it triggered the last summer him and Brianna would be together. When she finished giving her speech she was handed her diploma and she left the platform. Soon every person who graduated in Brianna class was handed their diplomas and they did the tradition ht throw.  
  
"Hey Bri," said Squid coming up behind her and kissing her neck.  
  
"Hey Alan," she replied laughing.  
  
"You were great up there!"  
  
"I was a nervous wreck."  
  
"You were not!"  
  
"Yes I was!"  
  
"Were not."  
  
"Could you two act like adults, please?" muttered Shaily, who was wearing the same outfit as Brianna. Zig Zag came up behind Shaily and placed his hands on her shoulder.  
  
"And someone needs to learn to mind their own business," he said in her ear. Brianna and Squid laughed as Shaily turned red.  
  
"So Brianna are you going to NOU?" asked Michelle. Brianna nodded. "Aw! an this is really going to suck when you leave!" Everyone nodded even Brianna. She mated leaving her friends here but she wanted to do something with her life. She wanted to become a lawyer wether they liked it or not.  
  
"Wow," Susan said with Magnet beside her. "I can't believe how fast the years went." Brianna agreed. It seemed like yesterday she was only seventeen. Brianna was now ninteen going on twenty. Squid was already twenty.  
  
"HEY BRI! C'MERE! I GOTTA TALK TO YA!" shouted Sherri. Brianna nodded and walked over to SHerri. Sherri nodded at Shaily.  
  
"I thought she'd never leave!" Shaily exclaimed. Everyone nodded. They were all planning a going away party for Brianna. They all wanted to say goodbye to Brianna and have fun while doing it. THey started going over who did what, who brought what, and who cooked what. Shaily was the most decorative out of the group so she runned the whole plan. "Ok, does everyone know what they're going to do?" she asked them. Everyone nodded. "Good!"  
  
* Two Weeks Later *  
  
"Hey Bri! I, uh, gotta go to the mall! Ya gotta come with me to uhm, shop! That's it! It'll only take AN HOUR!" shouted Susan pushing Brianna into her car and driving off. The group left behind were getting Brianna's Going Away Party ready.  
  
"C'mon guys! We've only got an hour to get this thing ready!" Shaily shouted. She was getting everyone in order and getting the decorations up. Michelle and Sherri were working on the cake and making a mess in the kitchen. Zig Zag and Squid were moving the tables around outside in the back yard. X-Ray and Magnet were out buying the food. Twitch was hooking up the stereo system and the party lights in the back yard.  
  
"OH MY GOD!" shouted Sherri from the kitchen.  
  
"What the hell is going' on in there?!" said Squid looking completely lost.  
  
"I don't think I wanna know," Zig replied.  
  
"YOU TWO IDIOTS! HOW COULD YOU! YOU PRACTICALLY BLEW UP THE DAMN KITCHEN!!" Shaily shrieked. Zig got a nervous look on his face and went to the kitchen to calm Shaily down. Shaily was known for her short temper. Squid laughed and moved two chairs over to another table.  
  
***  
  
"Susan! Where the hell are we going!? You missed the turn to the friggin' mall! C'mon! Let's turn around! God!" shouted Brianna wanting to get home. She wanted to pack some more. She was leaving for college in two days. Her things were leaving tomorrow since she couldn't fit all of her things onto the plane in one trip. Her room at Shaily's was filled with boxes with her name and room number on it.  
  
"Uhm right... We will." Susan said turning the car around in a driveway.  
  
"Good," muttered Brianna.   
  
***  
  
"We've only got three minutes and I see the car coming!" shouted MIchelle.  
  
"Everyone go into Squid's backyard now! Come on now! God!" Shaily shouted as she brought up the rear of everyone going into the backyard to hide.  
  
"Two minutes!"  
  
"Twitch d'you got the light switch!" shouted Shaily.  
  
"Yeah!" Twitch said.  
  
"One minute!" shouted Michelle. They all heard the car pull into Squid's driveway. Everyone got down or hid.  
  
***  
  
Brianna and Susan got out of Susan's car and then went into Squid's house. Susan ran to the backyard. "Hey! Where ya goin'?" complained Brianna. Brianna followed Susan and went into the backyard. Brianna was completely blank when she saw everything in the backyard. I was so dark too.  
  
"SURPRISE!" shouted all of Brianna's friends as they jumped out from their hiding places.  
  
"OH MY GOD!" Brianna said, jumping in shock. "You guys really did it this time!"  
  
"Hey honey," whispered Squid.  
  
"Hey," Brianna grinned. "What is this!"  
  
"A party for you! Y'know a "Going Away" party." Shaily answered. Brianna smiled and hugged all of the girls.  
  
"Thanks you guys!" Brianna said gratefully.  
  
"C'mon! Y'all are borin' me! LET'S PARTY!" shouted Michelle. Twitch grinned and switched on the lights and music. Brianna gasped as the backyard lit up. It was beautiful. "C'MON BRI!! LET'S PARTY!" Michelle yelled.  
  
"YEAH!" chorused Sherri, Susan, and Shaily. (Didya noticed they're the Three S's? LOL!)  
  
"C'mon we've got gifts too," Squid said pointing over to a table with piles of things on it. Brianna turned around and hugged Squid tightly. "Ok ok! Stop chokin' me!" said Squid laughing. Brianna let him go and kissed him quickly. She walked away to go party with her friends.  
  
"Don't let her slip away Squid," said Zig Zag.  
  
"I'm not about too," Squid answered.  
  
"Good."  
  
"Oh c'mon! Stupid stereo!" Shaily shouted. "RICKY!"  
  
"Duty calls," Zig Zag said leaving Squid and rushing over to Shaily. "What?"  
  
"I thought you said you got this fixed!" Shaily growled.  
  
"I did! What happened?!"  
  
"It won't play Brianna's favorite song!"  
  
"Lemme see it!" Zig Zag opened the stereo. "Maybe it would play the song if you HAD THE CD IN IT!"  
  
"Oh," Shaily said turning red. Everyone laughed. Brianna saw Squid just leaning againest a wall. She walked over to him.  
  
"Hey whatcha doin'?" she asked him, leaning againest the wall next to him.  
  
"Just watching you guys," Squid replied.  
  
"Oh c'mon! Have a little fun, Alan!" Brianna exclaimed. She grabbed his arm and pulled at him trying to get him away from the wall. 'Aw! Alan! Yer making this party upsetting for me. I want ya to have fun!" she said dragging him into the party.  
  
"Bri! C'mon! Lemme go!" shouted Squid. She refused and drug him over to the table with the stereo. Shaily was looking for the CD with Brianna's favorite song on it. Brianna rolled her eyes and told Squid to stay put. She went over to help Shaily looking for Bowling for Soup CD.  
  
"There it is! C'mon! Put it in!" laughed Shaily. Brianna placed the CD into the stereo and found the song "The Girl All the Bad Bo ys Want". She pressed play.  
  
"I LOVE THIS SONG!" shouted the girls in unision except for Teresa who had just arrived with Zero. THe guys stared.  
  
"I wonder why..." the guys said flatly in unision.  
  
"WE HEARD THAT!"  
  
And the party began to take flight. They ate, danced, goofed off, and other things. Brianna was so happy that she had such great friends. She even got Squid to dance, well sort of. He didn't move very much and tried to walk away a few times. It was now time for the presents. "OOO! OPEN MINE FIRST!" shouted Shaily like a five year old.  
  
"Shaily!" said Zig Zag.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Oh my God," laughed Brianna. She picked out Shaily's present and opened it. "Wow! It's beautiful!" Shaily had gotten Brianna a framed picture of all the girls before they had gone to Camp Green Lake. Brianna noticed Mel was in the picture too. Brianna placed the picture back onto the table and grabbed another gift. "This is from MIchelle!" she said as she ripped open the the wrapping paper. She had gotten more tank tops. "Ah! Thanks so much Sticky Fingers!" She placed the tank tops back onto the table.  
  
"I knew you'd love the tank tops!" Michelle said laughing. Brianna grinned and grabbed another gift.  
  
"This is from... Susan!" Brianna said as she dug through the bag. Susan had given her a scrapbook she had made herself. It had pictures of almost every little moment the Strips had ever been through. Even pictures at Camp Green Lake and when Brianna was absent. "Oh Susan! I love it!" Brianna said hugging Susan. Now the only present left was the one from Sherri. Brianna dug through the bag and pulled out the gifts. "OH MY GOD! A CD WALKMEN AND CD CASE! YEAH! I NEEDED THOSE! WOOHOO! Thanks sooooooo much much Sin!" said Brianna.  
  
"Sin?" asked Sherri.  
  
"You're nickname."  
  
"I got a nickname now!"  
  
"I know it's taken me a while but I FINALLY came up with it!" Brianna said grinning as she grabbed a card. "Ok from Magnet. Wait. One question Magnet."  
  
"What?" asked Magnet.  
  
"Did you steal this?"  
  
"Oh funny! But no."  
  
"Ok good." Money came out of the card. Almost all the guys gave Brianna money since they weren't exactly sure what to buy Brianna. Teresa and Zero both chipped in to give Brianna a laptop and twenty dollars each. Squid was the only person who hadn't given Brianna a present. "Hmm," Brianna said. "It seems one person hasn't given me something!"  
  
"Oh chill," Squid said. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small gift. it was a small but long box in wrapping paper. "Here," he said as he threw it to her. She smiled and opened it. Under the wrapping paper was a jewelery holder with a velvet feeling box. She opened it and inside was a golden chained, gold heart-shaped locket. It was her locket, but something seemed different. Instead of reading, "Best Friends" on it. It said "Keep Me Close In Your Heart". She took out the locket and opened it. Inside was the same picture of her friends but the picture of Squid and her was different. It was their prom picture inside of it. She looked over at Squid and almost cried. "Thanks," she whispered.  
  
"No problem." he replied. He came up behind her and helped her put it on. "There." He said while kissing her cheek.  
  
* Two Days Later *  
  
Brianna was standing outside with a backpack slung over her shoulder. Squid was behind her. He had his hands placed on her shoulders. "I'm gonna miss ya honey. Don't forget to email me. You do have a laptop now! So NO excuses!" he said to her. She laughed.  
  
"Very funny." she replied.  
  
"C'mon! Get into the car."  
  
"I'm going." Brianna said. She got into Squid's car and he got into the driver's seat. "I can't believe I'm going to college!" she said happily.  
  
"I'm gonna miss you."  
  
"Me too!" Squid started up the car and began to drive to the airport. "You send me pictures of New York!"  
  
"Don't worry. I will! As long as you send me pictures of you and New Orleans."  
  
"Oh wonderful. Do I hafta pose for those pictures?"  
  
"If you want."  
  
"I was being sarcastic," Brianna muttered. Squid grinned.  
  
"I know, but I was being serious," he said quickly kissing her. Brianna rolled her eyes but smiled. Most of the ride to the airport was silent. There wasn't much to say that wasn't already said. Except the dreaded "goodbyes". It took about thrity minutes to get to the airport. They went into the airport and to the terminal. Squid hugged her tightly. "Yer sure you got a place to stay there."  
  
"I'm positive. Kayla got a me an apartment there and if that doesn't work out I can always go to my aunt's. So calm down!" Brianna said returning the hug.  
  
"Ok. I'm just asking."  
  
"I'll visit New York sometime. I'd love to see it at Christmas."  
  
"I'll come visit too. I promise."  
  
"Hey Alan."  
  
"Hey what?"  
  
"Promise me one more thing?" she asked.  
  
"Anything," Squid replied as they pulled away form their embrace.  
  
"Kiss me goodbye," she whispered slyly. He looked down at her.  
  
"Sure," he said. He leaned into Brianna and pressed his lips onto Brianna's lips. He kissed her deeply holding her tightly againest him again. She fell into that last kiss.  
  
"Flight 48693 is now boarding," said the ticket lady over the intercom. Brianna and Squid broke their kiss and stared at eachother for a while.  
  
"Well this is it. Bye Alan," whispered Brianna kissing him again. "I love you!" she said walking away and waving to him. He waved back.  
  
"I love you too," he said. He watched Brianna hand the ticket lady her ticket and get onto the terminal. He walked over to the window and placed his hand onto the glass. He waited for the plane to leave.  
  
***  
  
Brianna sat down on the seat. Mostly teenagers were riding this plane. They must be going to college like Brianna. She was almost crying as she looked out her window and saw Squid. "Are ya leavin' someone too?" said a female voice from beside Brianna. Brianna turned and saw a red head.  
  
"Yeah. My boyfriend."  
  
"Aw that sucks."  
  
"Yeah but he's going off to New York. Oh what's yer name?"  
  
"Tracy. You?"  
  
"Brianna."  
  
"Oh cool! We're roomin' togtha!" Tracy said happily.  
  
"You sound like yer from New York."  
  
"Brooklyn where else!" Tracy said laughing as she sat down beside Brianna. "You sound like a southerner."  
  
"New Orleans is my hometown." Brianna replied.  
  
"Oh cool! Ya can show me places!"  
  
***  
  
The plane revved up and Squid's heart was hurting. He watched it take the runway and take off. He pulled away from the glass. "Bye Bri."  
  
***  
  
"Hey what's yer guy look like?" Tracy asked. Brianna showed a picture of Squid. It was the picture in her locket. "Oh! He's a cutie! Ain't he!"  
  
"Yeah. He's real sweet too."  
  
"Aw. Wish I had a guy like him."  
  
"I'm gonna miss him bad."  
  
"I would too."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Charm: Whew! LONG LONG LONG chapter! Sheesh! Sorry it is sooooooo freakin long! So whatcha think of it? I think this one would be my favorite. I know I know. The one with her leaving my FAV?! Well I'm all about mushy mushy love stuff and heart breaking action. Y'know bring me to tears love stories... Blah blah... So tell me whacha think! ^^  
  
Squid: Omg... --;;;;;;;  
  
Charm: LONG LIVE MUSHY LOVE STORIES!!!!! HAHAHAHAHA!!!!  
  
Shaily: I BOUGHT A FLAMETHROWER!!!!! MUWHAHAHAHA!  
  
Charm: Omg.. Well I'll leave with this quote I made up myself!  
  
"When life hands you a toothpick, go find Squid and see if he's missing his!" 


	17. Reunion in New York

Charm: Ok I know I changed my pen name but I'm gonna still go by Charm since it's shorter and I'm lazy. lol. Well this is the final chapter! WAH!!! *starts crying* Then I'll be doing the epilogue and the credits! ^_~ This'll be my second finished story! THen I can really work on my othe Squid and Brianna story! You know the I Hate you but I love you story. ^^ It's taking flight too! And!!!!! My humor stories are real popular too! ^^ Oh BTW: Rain! About the author who said you were a bad writer.... *grabs a flamthrower and is backed up with SHaily and her flamethrower* ATTACK!!!! FLAMERS DIE!!!  
  
Shaily: HEY! Where's Ziggy!! He can help!!!!!  
  
Charm: YAY! Squidy can beat'em up.. --;; As long as I pay him. HURRY ANYONE GOT $20?? lol! AH screw it! The flamethrower is all we need right Shail!  
  
Shaily: YAY!!!  
  
Charm: Oh yea! Before I forget. Some ppl mayb wonderin where the heck did this story mostly take place. Well I wasn't so sure until now. lol. They've been in San Francisco. ^^  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Chapter Seventeen: Reunion In New York  
  
Brianna had been in New Orleans University for a while now. Christmas was apporaching. Her roommate Tracy was constantly pestering Brianna to come to New York with her for the holidays. Brianna wasn't so sure about going to New York. Sure she knew Squid was there but would he be shocked at how much she had changed? Brianna had changed a lot since she left for college.  
  
Brianna wore contacts now since she found out her eyes weren't as strong as they used to. She read a lot of law and business books so it was mandatory that she be able to see perfectly. Brianna's hair was no longer straight. She had gotten it permed so it looked wavy, but every once and a while she used a curling iron on it to curl the ends. Brianna often wore her hair in a pontail now so she could see better. She also changed her clothing style. Brianna still wore tank tops and ripped jeans but she wasn't afraid to wear skirts or dressy outfits anymore. A lawyer did have to dress up for a trial so she would have to get used to it either way.  
  
"Oh c'mon! I bet Alan would want ya to come! Ya've been studyin' like a lunatic! Ya need to have some time off! Sheesh!" Tracy said. Brianna glanced up from her law book and glared at Tracy.  
  
"Please not now," whispered Brianna.  
  
"Man! Ya really need some time off," Tracy insisted. Brianna banged her head againest her law book. "Ya stay up util like four in da mornin'! Ya need to come with me to New York!"  
  
"If I go... Will you finally leave me to do my studying?" asked Brianna.  
  
"Yes!"  
  
"Fine, I'll go. I just gotta call Alan and tell him I'm gonna visit."  
  
* New York *  
  
Squid was in his apartment watching TV. Christmas brek was coming up. He was excited. He hoped Brianna would come to visit like she said she would. His roommate was out somewhere with his girlfriend. Squid didn't care. He liked the time alone. The phone began to ring. Squid got up from the couch and walked over to phone. He picked it up and said, "Hello?"  
  
"Hey Alan guess who!" said a female voice with an accent he could never forget.  
  
"Brianna?!" he shouted.  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"What're you callin' for?"  
  
"I just wanted tell ya that I'm comin' to New York for Christmas. My roommate Tracy has family there and she thought I should go with her. She say I've been studyin' to much... Go figure. I jus' wanted to tell ya that I'm comin'. So I'll see ya!" Brianna said.  
  
"Hey Bri wait!" Squid said.  
  
"What?" she questioned.  
  
"Where will ya be?"  
  
"Brooklyn. I'll have my cell phone so I'll call yah when I get there ok? I gotta go. Tracy's gotta use the phone. Bye!"  
  
"Bye!" and with that Squid heard the dial tone. He hung up the phone and went back to position on the couch. He was grinning. Brianna was going to visit.  
  
* San Francisco *  
  
"I wonder what Brianna and Squid are doin'," whined Shaily.  
  
"I know! How come they get to go do all the cool stuff?!" muttered Michelle.  
  
"Because they're not afraid to be apart," Zig Zag said.  
  
"Whaddya mean!" Shaily grumbled.  
  
"You didn't wanna leave because you were afraid to loose me. Brianna and Squid care so much about each other that they're not afraid to be apart." Zig answered. Everyone stared. "What?"  
  
"Did you ACTUALLY say that!?" X-Ray said looking shocked.  
  
"Oh very funny guys!" growled Zig.  
  
* New Orleans *  
  
"Let's see where was I?" Brianna said returning to her studies.  
  
"Hey Bri!" shouted Cheryl coming into the appartment. Cheryl was a new friend of Brianna's. She was in the same classes as her.  
  
"WHAT!?" shouted Brianna. She was getting annoyed by the fact that everyone was bugging her. Cheryl blinked at Brianna's explosion of anger. Brianna regained her composure and looked over to Cheryl. "What?" she asked a little more calmly.  
  
"Whaddya doin' fer Christmas?"  
  
"Goin' to New York with Trac."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"It doesn't matter. I'll see ya later!" Cheryl said. She left and Brianna tried to study again. She had a huge exam the next day. She really didn't want to fail.  
  
"Hey Brianna," Tracy said from the couch. Brianna slammed her hands onto the desk.  
  
"What!" she shouted.  
  
"Ya wanna play a lil trick on da guys?" Tracy asked slyly. Brianna grinned mischieviously. She nodded and they ran out of the appartment. If there was one thing Brianna could tolerate it was practical jokes on the boys in the school.  
  
* New York *  
  
"Hey there Alan! Sup?" said Squid's roommate Carlos coming into the appartment with his girlfriend, Brittany. Brittany looked over at Squid and smiled. Squid rolled his eyes. That girl would never leave Squid alone. She was always trying to get Squid to go on a date with her. Squid never agreed since the only girl he was intrested in was Brianna and always will be Brianna.  
  
"Nothing Carlos. It's just my girlfriend is flying in from New Orleans for Christmas." he answered. Brittany's jaw dropped. Squid grinned.  
  
"Ya have a girlfriend?! Who! Is she a lil hottie?" asked Carlos leaving his girlfriend and sitting next to Squid. Squid grinned and pulled out a picture of Brianna and handed it to Carlos. "Hell Alan! Ya did yerself pretty damn good! She's hot!" Carlos said. Squid snatched the picture out of Carlos's hand because of his jealousy. He still didn't have his jealousy under control.  
  
"Her name's Brianna."  
  
"Well I can't wait 'til she gets here."  
  
"Ya touch her. Ya die."  
  
* Two Days Later: New Orleans *  
  
"Dammit!" shouted Tracy.  
  
"What?" asked Brianna clutching her books as they walked down the hallway of the University.  
  
"I failed that exam."  
  
"I toldya to study!"  
  
"Oh shut up! C'mon we've gotta go pack. We're gonna leave tomorrow!"  
  
"Oh right."  
  
* San Francisco *  
  
"Hey guys guess what!" Michelle said.  
  
"What?" chorused evreyone.  
  
"Brianna just emailed me. SHe said she'll be spending the holidays with Squid!"  
  
"Ooo! I wonder what she's thinkin'!" giggled Shaily.  
  
"SHAILY!" Zig Zag shouted.  
  
"What? Just a simple question!"  
  
* New York *  
  
Squid was in a frantic mode. Brianna was coming the very next day. He was so nervous. He wondered how much she had changed. He wondered if she would think he had changed. He didn't even know what he was going to wear! This was so nerve racking to him. He didn't know what to say either. He felt like he was goinbg nuts. "Dammit! What am I goin' to do!" he shouted at himself.  
  
"Oh calm down Alan!" said Carlos. "I'm sure she still loves ya to death."  
  
"D'you think she'll like my gift?"  
  
"Yes. She'll love it!"  
  
"Whatever."  
  
"Yeah," said Brittany coming into the room. "She'll really love you."  
  
Squid glanced over at Brittany. "Get out!" he said. He wanted to say something else but dared not say it in front of Carlos. She smiled seductively as she left the room.  
  
* One Day Later *  
  
"Brianna welcome to New York!" said Tracy laughing. They walked out of the airport and Tracy was looking around. "Hey Bri," she said looking over at her.  
  
"Yeah?" she asked.  
  
"D'you got a place to stay? Cuz yer welcome to stay with my folks."  
  
"I'll be fine."  
  
"Yer sure?"  
  
"Yes!! Now c'mon! I see yer 'rents." Brianna said pointing to two people waving in their direction. "Hello Mr. and Mrs. Broughton." Brianna said smilling.  
  
"Hello Brianna. Tracy! There's my lil girl!" said Mr. Broughton. Tracy smiled and hugged her parents tightly. "Well c'mon. Off to da house!"  
  
"I'll catch up with ya guys later. I'm meetin' someone," Brianna said while blushing. Tracy grinned and winked at Brianna. Tracy mouthed the words 'good luck'. Brianna mouthed back 'thanks'. Brianna watched Tracy and her family walk away. Brianna pulled out her cell phone. She dialed Squid's number and told him to pick her up at the airport. She waited for about fifteen minutes for him to arrive.  
  
Finally he came.  
  
"ALAN!" cried out Brianna running toward him. SHe threw her arms around him and hugged him tightly. He returned her hug and kissed her on the mouth.  
  
"Mmm. It's been a while since I've tasted anything like that," he said in her ear. She grinned.  
  
"Yeah!" Brianna said returning his kiss.  
  
"C'mon I'll take ya back to my place."  
  
"Alright." Brianna said as followed him to the taxi. She climbed in and he got in after her. Squid told the driver directions to his appartment. It took them about fifteen minutes to get there. Squid and Brianna both got out of the taxi and Squid paid for the ride. He led her to his apartment. As they stood in the elevator Squid finally got to take a good look at Brianna.  
  
"Wow." he said as his eyes roved over her.  
  
"What?" she asked.  
  
"Ya changed. Yer hair's different, yer cloths are different..."  
  
"I wear contacts too."  
  
"Really?! Wow!" The elevator door opened and they got off. "C'mon, my apratment is just down here." They got to his apartment door and he opened it. Carlos and Brittany were watching TV. Brittany's jaw dropped when she saw Brianna. Carlos was in awe. "This is my girlfriend, Brianna!" said Squid. "Bri, this is my roommate Carlos and his girlfriend, Brittany."  
  
"Hey!" Brianna said brightly.  
  
"Wow! Yer even prettier in person," said Carlos.  
  
"Back off she's mine." Squid growled.  
  
"That's HER? She looks like a prep. How come she don't look like her picture!?" Brittany asked with a snob attitude. Brianna glared.  
  
"Well if ya must know I'm going to school to be a lawyer. What're you studying for? To be a whore?" asked Brianna. Squid had to turn around so no one say him laughing. Well Brianna's personality hasn't changed. Brittany's jaw dropped. What Brianna had said did make sense since Brittany wore some skimpy cloths.  
  
"Hey Carlos, honey, why don't you stay at my place tonight. I don't like the idea of you staying with the slut." Brittany retorted. Brianna glared deathly at Brittany. Carlos sighed and left with Brittany.  
  
"HOW DARE THAT LITTLE WHORE CALL ME A SLUT!" shouted Brianna in outrage. Squid grabbed Brianna and drug her into the apartment. He shut the door behind him and took Brianna to the couch. "Whew! I'm fine I'm fine!" Brianna said laughing.  
  
"That good." said Squid sitting next to her. "I missed you."  
  
"Me too."  
  
"I'm really happy you came to visit me."  
  
"Hey Alan, I didn't have time to get you a present so-."  
  
"Hey it's alright you visiting is the best gift to me."  
  
"Thanks Alan." Brianna said leaning againest him.  
  
"Just remember Christmas is tomorrow."  
  
"Will you shut up! Yer ruining the romantic moment." Brianna grumbled as she nuzzled againest Squid. He laughed.  
  
* One Day Later *  
  
Brianna and Squid awoke the next morning on the couch. Brianna got up first and shook Squid awake. "Huh? Wha-?" Squid yawned. Brianna kissed him on the mouth and grinned.  
  
"Merry Christmas." she whispered.  
  
"Same to you Bri," Squid replied.  
  
"HELLO EVERYONE!" said Carlos coming through the door. Brittany was behind him. Brianna rolled her eyes. Squid muttreed something under his breath that made Brianna snicker. "How is everyone? Fine right?" Carlos asked grinning. Brianna and Squid stared at eachother. Brianna was thinking this guy was an idiot. "Well I'll be right back ok?" said Carlos. "I forgot the presents back at Brit's." Carlos left.  
  
"Hmm. Well I'll be back ok Alan? I'm gonna go get some doughnuts or something. And plus Tracy's probably wonderin' why I haven't called her." Brianna said kissing Squid on the mouth again and getting her coat on and leaving. Brittany and Squid were the only one's in the apartment. Squid wished he had left with Brianna.  
  
Brittany smiled seductively again. She moved to Squid and sat down beside him. He moved away. She scooted closer and ran her fingers through his dark hair. "Oh Alan... You know she's no good right? How come you won't date me?" Brittany asked in Squid's ear. He shuddered. Before he knew it, Brittany had pinned Squid down onto the couch and was about to kiss him. Squid wished she would get off of him. He wasn't going to hit a girl. Brittany lowered herself onto Squid. "Oh Alan... How can you like that little idiot. She's no girl for you..." She said before she pressed her lips hard onto his.  
  
"Alan?" asked Brianna coming into the apartment. The doughnut she was eating fell out of her hand.  
  
"Brianna!?" shouted Squid as he pushed Brittany off of him. "Bri! I can explain!" But Brianna had run out of the apartment in tears. Squid glared down at Brittany. "WHY YOU STUPID BITCH! GET IT THROUGH YOUR WHORE OF A MIND THAT I HATE YOU!" he shouted. He ran out of the door after Brianna.  
  
***  
  
Brianna couldn't believe what Squid had done. "That no good cheating liar!" she cried as she ran out of the apartment complex building. She was on her way to Central Park. She had to think. Even it was freezing Brianna didn't mind since she just wanted to think. When she finally arrived at Central park she saton a bench and cried. How could Squid do such a thing to her.  
  
"BRIANNA!"  
  
It was Squid.  
  
She turned from him and cried some more. He sat next to her. "Honey! I didn't!"  
  
"NO! YOU DAMN LIAR!" she screamed. Squid grabbed her shoulders and kissed her on the cheek.  
  
"Bri lemme explain. That Brittany girl has a huge crush on me. She kissed me. And besides she hates you Bri. She did it because I didn't want to date her because I love you! More than anyone Bri! I love you more every single day." Brianna remained silent. "Please Bri! Look at me sweetie!" pleaded Squid. Silence. "Well atleast look at me please!"  
  
Brianna looked at him. "Thanks. That helps." Squid reached into his pocket and pulled out a wrapped up small box. "Here," he whispered handing it to Brianna. She looked at the box and then Squid and back to the box. She ripped the wrapping paper off and it revealed a black jewlery velvet feeling box. She opened the box and gasped.  
  
"Alan... It's... Oh my God..." she said. She was lost for words.  
  
"I toldya I love you. I know it's a little early but after you graduate from college I was thinkin' we could... And then you can go to law school... Maybe..."  
  
"OH ALAN!" Brianna cried. Squid turned red. Squid took out the small diamond ring onto Brianna's hand. (ARE YOU HAPPY TALLEY? JK!) "I love you," Brianna whispered throwing her arms around Squid in tears. Squid threw his arms around Brianna and they embraced.  
  
"I love you too Bri. Merry Christmas."  
  
"Merry Christmas to you too."  
  
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Charm: Hey everyone! Talley there... Your wish was granted. lol! I hoped you guys liked that. MUSHY LOVE STORIES RULE MY WORLD!!!!! MUWAHAHA! Now onto the epilogue!  
  
Shaily: YAY! CAN I BRING MY FLAMETHROWER!?  
  
Charm: YEAH! 


	18. Epilogue: My Heart Belongs To You

Charm: Time for the epilogue!!!!  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Epilogue: My Heart Belongs To You  
  
Squid and Brianna are now engaged. Brianna spent her Christmas Break with Squid but went back to New Orleans to finish school. People were shocked by the fact that she was engaged at such a young age. Her friends back in San Francisco were shocked that Brianna and Squid were engaged. It seemed everyone was. Even Brianna aunt and brother. Brianna didn't want to get married before she finished law school. She wanted to finish her law school and pass her bar exam first. Squid agreed and finished his college education with a masters in Marine Biology. Brianna graduated from NOU major in law. She now attends Havard at the age of twenty-three. Squid moved back to San Francisco to be with his friends as he awaits Brianna's graduation from Havard and her passing of the Bar Exam.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Charm: WEE! YAY! MY SECOND FINISHED STORY!!!!!! WOOHOO!!! *starts crying* YAY!!!!!!!!!!! Ok onto the credits...  
  
~*My biggest thanx to*~  
  
Shaily, Mel, Rain, Talley, and Kayla OH! And to Smiley. You guys stuck by me since dang I forgot!!! lol! You guys I would hafta say are the biggest fans of my writing. I love you guys (as friends) TO DEATH! ^^  
  
~*To the other fans*~  
  
THANK YOU FOR TELLING ME MY WRITING IS GREAT I LOVE YOU GUYS TOO!!!!!!!!   
  
~*To my flamers (YES I'M GIVING THEM SOME LIGHT TOO!)*~  
  
Jehan's Muse: YOU SUCK! YOU REALLY SUCK! I DON'T THINK MY WRITING IS PERFECT! SOMETIMES I HATE IT! I'LL BURN YOU WITH MY FLAMETHROWER YOU EVIL FLAMER! GRRRR!!!!!  
  
This chick that was so unimportant I forgot her name: There are thousands of stories out there with girls going to CGL! People OPEN YOU MINDS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! GRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  
  
Charm: Well everyone! I'm so happy I finished my second story! ^^ LONG LIVE MUSHY LOVE STORIES! lol. Well if anyone who thinks I should make a sequel to this please tell me. I might not do it since I really want to focus on my new story. ok? But then again I might since this became so popular! ^^ lol! Well buh bye! ^^ 


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